HC Deb 11 January 1988 vol 125 cc172-5W
Mr. Cummings

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many beds were available for patients during the years 1984–85, 1985–86 and 1986–87, in Dryburn hospital, Durham, Sunderland district general hospital, Sunderland Royal infirmary, Hartlepool district general hospital, Ryhope general hospital, the County hospital, Durham, Cherry Knowle, Ryhope and Winterton hospital, Sellafield.

Mrs. Currie

The information requested is given in the table.

Average daily number of available beds, 1984–1986
Year
Health authority and hospital 1984 1985 1986
Durham
Dryburn hospital 420 427 433
County hospital 60 60 60
Hartlepool
Hartlepool general hospital 449 446 449
South West Durham
Winterton hospital 952 945 938
Sunderland
Royal infirmary 253 247 254
Sunderland district general hospital 708 701 710

Average available beds in National Health Service hospitals
Year
Specialty or specialty group and county 1978 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986
General medicine1
Devon 439 460 484 463 471 454
Somerset 177 165 159 148 173 166
General surgery
Devon 539 569 538 505 494 513
Somerset 172 151 172 158 157 158
Other acute specialties
Devon 2,126 2,100 2,105 2,122 2,114 2,129
Somerset 670 716 719 748 707 725
Geriatric
Devon 1,357 1,374 1,361 1,342 1,349 1,351
Somerset 515 513 508 511 506 479
Maternity specialties
Devon 352 345 345 344 342 330
Somerset 137 134 135 135 120 129
Mental illness specialties
Devon 1,697 1,423 1,427 1,306 1,319 1,180
Somerset 1,271 1,120 1,108 1,103 1,076 1,055
Mental handicap
Devon 1,303 1,226 1,179 994 808 748
Somerset 553 523 513 497 454 384
Units for the younger disabled
Devon 50 56 56 56 54 53
Somerset 26 26 26 26 26 26
All specialties
Devon 7,863 7,553 7,495 7,130 6,951 6,755
Somerset 3,520 3,347 3,339 3,326 3,219 3,121
1 Figures for 1978 are not comparable with those for later years, due to a change of specialty definitions in 1979.

Note: For the county of Devon figures for Exeter, North Devon, Plymouth and Torbay DHAs have been used. (Devon AHA figures used for the 1978 figures). As regards Somerset, figures for Somerset DHA (Somerset AHA for 1978) have been used.

Nursing and midwifery staff in post-Devon and Somerset counties 30 September
Whole time equivalent1
Devon1 Somerset2
1978 7,400 2,890
1982 8,530 3,190
1983 8,630 3,220

Year
Health authority and hospital 1984 1985 1986
Ryhope general hospital 427 396 362
Cherry Knowle hospital 663 672 680

Sir Peter Emery

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give for the year 1978 and for each of the last five years the total number of hospital beds for each of the following services(a) general medical, (b) general surgical, (c) non-psychiatric acute, (d) geriatric, (e) maternity, (f) mental illness, (g) mentally handicapped and (h) young chronic sick; and what is the total of these and the number of nurses employed in the counties of Devon and Somerset.

Mrs. Currie

The information requested is given in the tables.

Whole time equivalent1
Devon2 Somerset2
1984 8,490 3,230
1985 8,870 3,270
1986 9,010 3,270
Source: DHSS annual census of NHS non-medical manpower
1 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents.
2 Figures for 1978 relate to the Devon and Somerset area health

authorities respectively. Figures for 1982–86 are as follows:

Devon county comprises the sum of the North Devon, Plymouth, Torbay and Exeter district health authorities.

Somerset county comprises Somerset district health authority.