HC Deb 29 November 1988 vol 142 cc180-1W
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of(a) 65 to 70-year-olds, (b) 70 to 75-year-olds, (c) 75 to 80-year-olds, (d) 80 to 85-year-olds, and (e) people over 85 years old receiving private sector care.

Mr. Grist

The total number of residents aged 65 or over in private homes in Wales registered with local authorities under part 1 of the Registered Homes Act 1984 as at 31 March 1987 was 4,907. Disaggregation by age-band is not available. Neither is information available centrally for the number of patients receiving care in private hospitals, nursing homes and clinics (section 23 of the Registered Homes Act 1984).

Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of(a) 65 to 70-year-olds, (b) 70 to 75-year-olds, (c) 75 to 80-year olds, (d) 80 to 85-year-olds, and (e) people over 85 years old receiving National Health Service care.

Mr. Grist

The latest available information, for 1987, is given in the table:

Number of Discharges (including deaths) from NHS hospitals in Wales
Age (years) Number
65–69 33,823
70–74 34,950
75–79 34,244
80–84 26,456
85 and over 18,657

The figures include all patients treated in NHS hospitals, including full paying patients.

Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of people(a) between 65 and 75 years old and (b) over 75 years old who have been identified as needing or having (i) hip replacements, (ii) cataracts, (iii) chest complaints, (iv) heart disease, (v) strokes, (vi) Parkinson's disease, (vii) Alzheimer's disease and (viii) osteo/rheumatoid arthritis.

Mr. Grist

Information in the form requested is not available centrally. The number of discharges (including deaths) from NHS hospitals in Wales in 1987 by each diagnosis is as follows:

Number of discharges (including deaths) from NHS hospitals in Wales, by age (years)
Diagnosis (ICD9 code) 65–74 75 +
Cataracts (366) 1,472 2,357
Ischaemic heart disease (410–414) 3,822 3,526
Other heart disease (393–398, 401–405, 415, 416, 420–429) 3,171 4,383
Parkinson's Disease (332) 270 640
Rheumatoid arthritis (7140) 497 279
Alzheimer's Disease (3310) 25 53
Cerebrovascular disease (430–438 2,455 4,090
—of which cerebrovascular accident—4369) (1,599 2,831)
Chest complaints:
i. acute respiratory infection (460–466) 124 246
ii. other diseases of upper respiratory tract (470–478) 402 117
iii. pneumonia and influenza (480–487) 610 1,809
iv. bronchitis and emphysema (490–493) 1,067 825
v. other diseases of respiratory system (494–519) 2,539 3,345
Hip replacement (OPCS operation code 810, 811) 750 800

Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list(a) the financial resources allocated to the National Health Service for the care of the elderly and (b) the number of units and staff specifically allocated within the National Health Service for the care of the elderly.

Mr. Grist

The major part of resources for the care of the elderly in the National Health Service is included in the discretionary allocations which health authorities distribute according to their own priorities. In 1988–89 the Welsh Office allocated an additional £1.4 million of central funds to Welsh health authorities aimed at providing care for the elderly, including the elderly mentally infirm and psychogeriatrics, and a further £0.34 million was allocated under the elderly initiative for approved schemes sponsored by Welsh health authorities.

Information on the number of units specifically allocated to the care of the elderly within the National Health Service is not held centrally. However, the number of beds allocated to the specialties of geriatrics, elderly mentally infirm and psychogeriatrics at 31 March 1988 in Wales was 4,603. The number of medical staff in the speciality of geriatrics at 30 September 1986 in Wales was 153 whole-time equivalents and the number of nursing staff working with geriatric patients at 31 October 1988 was 3,925 whole-time equivalents.

It should be noted that beds and staff recorded against other specialist areas may also be involved in the care of the elderly.