HC Deb 06 April 1987 vol 114 cc102-5W
Mr. Conway

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will give by health authority district within the West Midlands regional health authority the number of beds in 1978 and 1987;

(2) if he will list the number of patients given treatment annually since 1978 in each health authority district within the West Midlands regional health authority.

Mr. Newton

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

Mr. Conway

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will list by health authority district within the West Midlands regional health authority those proposing reductions in non-emergency general medical and general surgical facilities;

(2) what has been the growth in capital allocations for each health authority district in the West Midlands regional health authority since 1978.

Mr. Newton

This information is not held centrally. My hon. Friend may therefore wish to write to the chairman of the West Midlands regional health authority who may be able to help him.

Mr. Conway

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what he estimates to be the impact upon medical services in Shropshire if the proposal to close six wards at the Royal Shrewsbury hospital is implemented; and if he will make a statement;

(2) if he will list the district health authority areas within the West Midlands regional health authority in which the general surgical waiting list is expected by the relevant health authority to double over the next three years.

Mr. Newton

As my hon. Friend is aware, Shropshire health authority is considering a number of options to enable it to stay broadly within its cash limits, taking account of the important service developments due to take place in the county during the next few years. In reaching a decision about its spending, Shropshire health authority will, I am sure, consider carefully the impact on services including waiting lists. It is currently discussing with the West Midlands regional health authority how it can best deploy its share of the waiting list fund announced by my right hon. Friend in November 1986.

Mr. Conway

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will state the waiting lists in each health authority district within the West Midlands regional health authority;

(2) if he will list by health authority district within the West Midlands regional health authority the current waiting lists for treatment.

Mr. Newton

For the latest centrally available information I refer my hon. Friend to hospital in-patient waiting list, England at 30 September 1986, national, regional and district summaries, copies of which have been placed in the Library. For current figures he may wish to write to the chairman of the West Midlands regional health authority.

Mr. Conway

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the annual expenditure of the West Midlands regional health authority since 1978.

Mr. Newton

Following are the total expenditure figures recorded in the annual financial accounts of the West Midlands regional health authority and those of district health authorities (area health authorities prior to 1982–83) within that region:

Hospital and community health services
£ million
1978–79 460.7
1979–80 571.4
1980–81 742.0
1981–82 817.3
1982–83 868.6
1983–84 927.7
1984–85 1,005.8
1985–86 1,092.1

Expenditure on family practitioner services is excluded although the figures for the years 1978–79 to 1984–85 include a small element representing family practitioner committees' administration expenses.

Mr. Conway

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will list the members of the Shropshire health authority, the date of their appointment and projected termination date;

(2) if he will list the members of the West Midlands regional health authority, the date of their appointment and projected termination date.

Mr. Newton

I regret that information about members of Shropshire health authority is not held centrally. They are appointed by West Midlands regional health authority and the appropriate local authorities. The hon. Member may therefore wish to seek this information from the chairman of West Midlands regional health authority. The information requested about members of the regional health authority is as follows:

Date first appointed Date appointment due to expire
Mr. J. G. Ackers (Chairman) 1 August 1982 31 July 1990
Cllr. F. A. Betteridge 1 October 1980 30 September 1988
Ms. M. E. Bielawski 19 March 1987 30 September 1990
Mrs. M. A. Blackhouse 13 June 1982 30 September 1988
Mrs. M. J. T. Hadley, OBE 1 October 1984 30 September 1988
Mr. G. Holroyde 1 October 1986 30 September 1990
Cllr. D. G. Lloyd, MBE 1 October 1984 30 September 1988
Mr. J. Mottram 2 June 1986 30 September 1988
Mr. A. D. Owen 1 October 1982 30 September 1990
Mr. A. J. Parkinson 1 October 1974 30 September 1988
Dr. R. Pomeroy 1 October 1984 30 September 1988
Prof. N. K. Shinton 1 October 1978 30 September 1990
Mr. S. B. Shuttleworth 1 October 1980 30 September 1988
Mr. B. Stoten 1 October 1986 30 September 1990
Mr. A. G. Ward, JP 1 October 1974 30 September 1990
Mr. E. M. Worley, JP 1 October 1982 30 September 1990
Lady Jean Young, JP 1 October 1984 30 September 1988

There is currently one vacant place on West Midlands regional health authority.

Mr. Conway

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state the additional resources allocated to the West Midlands regional health authority for reduction of waiting lists; what steps he has taken to monitor its equitable distribution to the district health authorities within the region; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Newton

West Midlands regional health authority is to receive £2.88 million from the first year's allocation of the waiting list fund. Full details of the projects to be supported in all regions have been placed in the Library. The projects supported were submitted to the Department by the Region on behalf of its Districts and took account of the magnitute of the problems, the likely impact of the projects and the extent to which the districts were already making effective use of existing resources.

Mr. Conway

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the growth in population to date, and projected population growth, for each health authority district within the West Midlands regional health authority.

Mr. Newton

The mid-year population estimates for 1981 and 1985 and the change between those years for each of the district health authorities within West Midlands regional health authority are shown in table 1. These data were published by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in its Monitor reference PP 186/2, a copy of which is available in the Library. The projected population change between 1985 and 1995 is shown in Table 2. The projections for 1995 were prepared by OPCS from a 1981 base and the data can only represent a view of the most likely way forward at the time of preparation.

Table 1
Mid year population estimates
Persons (thousands) Change 1981–85
Area 1981 1985 Per cent.
Bromsgrove and Redditch 155.9 162.7 4.4
Herefordshire 149.7 152.7 2.0
Kidderminster and District 99.8 101.1 1.3
Worcester and District 231.0 234.3 1.4
Shropshire 380.6 390.3 2.5
Mid Staffordshire 299.8 306.1 2.1
North Staffordshire 468.6 463.0 -1.2
South East Staffordshire 250.4 251.3 0.4
Rugby 87.5 85.6 -2.2
North Warwickshire 173.9 172.7 -0.7
Persons (thousands) Change 1981–85
Area 1981 1985 Per cent.
South Warwickshire 215.8 221.4 2.6
Central Birmingham 185.4 179.9 -3.0
East Birmingham 203.8 201.7 -1.0
North Birmingham 167.6 163.4 -2.5
South Birmingham 255.2 249.1 -2.4
West Birmingham 208.8 213.4 2.2
Coventry 319.4 312.2 -2.3
Dudley 300.8 300.8 0.0
Sandwell 309.8 303.3 -2.1
Solihull 198.1 201.9 1.9
Walsall 267.7 262.9 -1.8
Wolverhampton 256.6 253.2 -1.3
Table 2
Mid year population estimates and 1981-based projections
Persons (thousands) Change 1985–95
DHA 1985 1995 Per cent.
Bromsgrove and Redditch 162.7 177.3 9.0
Herefordshire 152.7 160.5 5.1
Kidderminster and District 101.1 104.3 3.2
Worcester and District 234.3 259.7 10.8
Shropshire 390.3 410.1 5.1
Mid Staffordshire 306.1 337.7 10.3
North Staffordshire 463.0 458.2 -1.0
South East Staffordshire 251.3 269.6 7.3
Rugby 85.6 92.0 7.5
North Warwickshire 172.7 184.7 6.9
South Warwickshire 221.4 226.6 2.3
Central Birmingham 179.9 168.6 -6.3
East Birmingham 201.7 190.9 -5.4
North Birmingham 163.4 168.2 2.9
South Birmingham 249.1 250.7 0.6
West Birmingham 213.4 212.5 -0.4
Coventry 312.2 307.5 -1.5
Dudley 300.8 307.9 2.4
Sandwell 303.3 303.1 -0.1
Solihull 201.9 196.9 -2.5
Walsall 262.9 260.2 -1.0
Wolverhampton 253.2 251.6 -0.6