HC Deb 16 March 1988 vol 129 cc583-5W
Mr. Darling

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many patients are currently undergoing kidney dialysis, by each health board area.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

This information is not available in the form requested. Only five health boards provide renal dialysis services. The number of patients being treated by the various forms of dialysis by each of those boards at 31 December 1986 is as follows:

Number
Grampian 59
Greater Glasgow 384
Highland 24
Lothian 147
Tayside 74
688

Hospital and community health services
£ thousands
(a) Capital expenditure (b) Net recurrent expenditure
1982–83 7,564 49,999
1983–84 5,968 57,399
1984–85 6,171 62,250
1985–86 4,968 67,310
1986–87 2,921 73,264
1987–88 14,580 178,808
1 Estimated final allocations (including supplementary allocations); actual expenditure by hoard is not yet known.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the numbers of(a) nurses, (b) paramedical staff, (c) general practitioners and (d) hospital doctors employed by Fife health board in the last five years for which information is available; and what current vacancies there are.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

The information requested on numbers of staff employed by Fife health board is shown in the table below. The number of vacancies is not available centrally.

Mr. Darling

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many patients are awaiting kidney dialysis, by each health board area.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

All patients who are referred to consultants for treatment for end-stage renal failure receive renal dialysis timeously provided that it is the consultant's clinical judgment that they would benefit from it.

Mr. Darling

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the average number of nurses available for each kidney dialysis machine in each health board area;

(2) what is the percentage of time that kidney dialysis machines are either being used or are being prepared for use in each health board area.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

This information is not centrally available.

Mr. Darling

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he intends to provide extra funding to provide for nursing staff to allow the kidney dialysis machines at Edinburgh Western general infirmary to operate at maximum capacity.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

For 1988–89 Lothian health board has been allocated £266.427 million for net revenue expenditure on hospital and community health services, an increase of 5.3 per cent. over the equivalent figure for 1987–88. It is for individual boards, in the light of their knowledge of local needs, to decide on the provision of particular services and priorities between services. I understand that the board is preparing a report on the future provision of renal services in their area and that some neighbouring boards are also considering provision of this service.

Mr. Darling

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many kidney dialysis machines there are in each health board area; and in which hospitals.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Information on the number of kidney dialysis machines in hospital use is not available centrally. Hospitals with renal units where dialysis is carried out are listed below. Many patients are dialysed outside hospital, either on a machine in their home or using the continuous peritoneal ambulatory dialysis technique. My officials are at present considering the geographic coverage provided by the service.

  • Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
  • Dundee Royal Infirmary
  • Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
  • Glasgow Royal Infirmary
  • Raigmore Hospital, Inverness
  • Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow
  • Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow
  • Western General Hospital, Edinburgh
  • Western Infirmary, Glasgow