HC Deb 28 March 1988 vol 130 cc342-4W
Mr. Redwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he will make the National Health Service performance indicators for 1986–87 available in the Library.

Mr. Newton

We hope to make the indicators available later this week.

Mr. Redwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what information he has as to why Hampstead, Preston and Bloomsbury district health authorities have large estates in relation to the resident population in their health districts; and if there has been a recent review of their property usage;

(2) what information he has as to the reasons for the numbers of staff in the ancillary, building and maintenance, administrative and clerical, professional and technical categories which Halton district employs in relation to its patient work load;

(3) what information he has as to the reasons for the level of costs of administrative and medical record keeping in the leading London hospitals and the Bristol Royal infirmary;

(4) what information he has as to the reasons for the size of the complement of consultant and senior doctors in general medicine in the Barking and Havering district;

(5) what information he has as to why expenditure by West Birmingham, Richmond and Twickenham, Rugby, Central Manchester, Merton and Sutton and West Lancashire district health authorities on building maintenance is relatively high in relation to other authorities; and what plans are there to review their performance in this respect.

Mr. Newton

I assume my hon. Friend's questions were stimulated by an analysis of Health Service indicators. Although the purpose of the indicators is to raise questions at all levels about health service performance in delivering services to patients, most of the reasons behind detailed variations shown by indicator analysis can only be identified at local level where the analysis can be informed by local knowledge. This is why in our approach to the use of the indicators — full details of which will be announced in a forthcoming health circular — we have concentrated on ensuring that detailed local analyses are undertaken and on monitoring the results and the action taken. My hon. Friend may therefore wish to direct his specific questions about the reasons for these variations between districts and regions to the district or regional authorities concerned.

Estimated number of dischareges and mean duration of stay (days) of National Health Services and private patients from National Health
Service non-psychiatric and non-maternity hospitals, by specialty England 1985
National Health Service Patients
England Northern RHA Yorkshire RHA Trent RHA East Anglia RHA North West Thames RHA North East Thames RHA South East Thames RHA South West Thames RHA
General medicine —Est. No. 877,210 65,920 63,920 77,370 25,060 63,710 80,410 73,430 41,530
—Mean duration of stay 9.9 9.5 9.7 8.8 8.7 12.4 11.1 10.5 9.4
Paediatrics —Est. No. 333,280 24,200 24,450 29,390 9,400 27,730 24,890 27,930 13,740
—Mean duration of stay 3.9 4.1 5.0 3.1 2.8 3.8 3.6 3.8 3.2
Infectious diseases —Est. No. 22,800 380 4,840 2,530 320 610 4,870 1,920 2,030
—Mean duration of stay 6.7 8.0 6.1 5.1 6.1 11.1 6.7 5.9 5.4
Thoracic medicine —Est. No. 61,190 3,150 3,980 5,200 3,040 4,130 5,870 4,550 1,170
—Mean duration of stay 11.7 9.0 11.2 13.5 7.2 10.2 18.6 10.9 12.8
Dermatology —Est. No. 19,930 2,020 2,790 2,120 480 1,170 810 1,460 490
—Mean duration of stay 19.4 15.2 16.8 19.5 24.4 19.4 16.5 20.8 19.1
Neurology —Est. No. 42,880 3,230 3,430 3,330 1,400 1,480 3,730 2,200 2,750
—Mean duration of stay 11.5 7.0 13.0 10.0 14.6 11.3 14.5 10.8 11.4
Cardiology —Est. No. 54,570 2,960 5,670 3,710 1.660 5,840 2,960 7,570 280
—Mean duration of stay 7.0 6.0 6.8 5.3 6.2 8.1 7.4 6.9 6.1
Rehabilitation —Est. No. 7,880 630 90 880 1,180 1,110 1,350 150 970
—Mean duration of stay 30.2 25.3 26.3 53.5 20.2 29.5 24.2 16.7 26.8
Genito.Urinary medicine —Est. No. 480 10 40 140 — 90 60 10 —
—Mean duration of stay 6.3 2.0 9.5 6.1 — 5.7 15.2 3.0 —
Rheumatology —Est. No. 27,600 1,920 2,860 2,850 1,470 1,640 1,380 2,200 640

He will additionally wish to be aware that there is at present an initiative underway throughout the NHS to ensure that under-used properties are either disposed of or put to better use.