§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many district health authorities have appointed consultant community paediatricians; and if he will list those which have and those which have not;
(2) what steps he is taking to require those district health authorities which have not appointed consultant community paediatricians to do so.
§ Mrs. CurrieThe Court report in 1974 recommended the appointment of consultant community paediatricians to help provide a better co-ordinated and integrated service for children. A recent report from the faculty of Community Medicine also recommends such appointments. The responsibility for the appointment of consultants rests with individual health authorities. Allthough information on the number of districts that have consultant community paediatricians in post is not collected centrally, we do know that, in recent years, many districts have made such appointments and there are now at least 100 in post. Job descriptions and titles vary from district to district reflecting differing local circumstances.