HC Deb 08 December 1989 vol 163 cc437-9W
Mr. Alex Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and which community health councils in Wales have made representations to him opposing the National Health Service White Paper "Working for Patients".

Mr. Grist

The White Paper includes a wide range of measures to improve the organisation and management of the NHS so as to maximise patient care. Community health councils are in frequent correspondence with the Department about many issues. In recent months many such representations have concerned one or more aspects of individual White Paper proposals, and have included views supporting or expressing concern about them. It would be possible only at disproportionate expense to analyse these in the manner requested by the hon. Gentleman.

Mr. Alex Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the number of National Health Service beds available for the elderly in each Welsh health authority area from 1985 to 1988 inclusive.

Mr. Grist

The number of beds in specialities designated as geriatric, psychogeriatric and elderly mentally infirm is shown in the following table. Elderly patients can, however, be treated in beds allocated to other specialities.

Average daily available beds
Health authority 1985 1986 1987 1988
Clwyd 585.1 590.6 562.9 534.0
East Dyfed 417.6 419.5 409.9 404.9
Gwent 981.2 973.2 966.9 958.9
Gwynedd 438.5 446.3 443.4 451.1
Mid Glamorgan 920.8 923.2 938.1 805.9
Pembrokeshire 134.4 134.5 126.4 126.6
Powys 238.0 220.3 206.2 220.5
South Glamorgan 460.6 463.9 455.9 455.8
West Glamorgan 503.9 461.6 481.5 470.5

Mr. Geraint Howells

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many general practitioner practices in Wales have more than 11,000 patients; and where they are situated.

Mr. Grist

At June 1989 there were 39 practices in Wales with more than 11,000 patients. The location of the main surgery of these practices is shown in the table:

Location Number of practices
Rhyl, Clwyd 1
Wrexham, Clwyd 3
Prestatyn, Clwyd 1
Mold, Clwyd 1
Buckley, Clwyd 1
Gresford, Clwyd 1
Abergele, Clwyd 1
Carmarthen, Dyfed 1
Haverfordwest, Dyfed 1
Caldicot, Gwent 1
Monmouth, Gwent 1
Newport, Gwent 3
Amlwch, Gwynedd 1
Llandudno, Gwynedd 1
Bedwas, Mid Glamorgan 1
Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan 2
Church Village, Mid Glamorgan 1
Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan 2
Dowlais, Mid Glamorgan 1
Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan 1
Porthcawl, Mid Glamorgan 1
Caerphilly, Mid Glamorgan 1
Ystradmynach, Mid Glamorgn 1
Ystradgynlais, Powys 1
Brecon, Powys 1
Newtown, Powys 1
Cardiff, South Glamorgan 4
Barry, South Glamorgan 1
Gowerton, West Glamorgan 1
Swansea, West Glamorgan 1

Mr. Livsey

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many long-term patients have been discharged from psychiatric hospitals in Wales in every year since 1985 in each area health authority in Wales.

Mr. Grist

The number of patient discharges following a stay of one year or more, is shown in the following table:

Patient discharges from mental illness hospitals or units
1985 1986 1987 1988
Clwyd 65 44 47 63
East Dyfed 30 42 46 43
Pembrokeshire

1985 1986 1987 1988
Gwent 46 42 56 53
Gwynedd 4 4 2
Mid Glamorgan 33 55 41 51
Powys 6 6 17 12
South Glamorgan 39 26 35 43
West Glamorgan 31 31 47 44
Patient discharges from mental handicap hospitals or units
Clwyd 1 3 5 8
East Dyfed 3 1
Pembrokeshire 4 5 3 10
Gwent 7 10 33 12

Mental illness1 Mental handicap
Number of beds Changes in number Number of beds Changes in number
1985 1988 1985–88 1985 1988 1985–88
Clwyd 657.3 558.0 - 99.3 92.0 62.7 -29.3
East Dyfed 577.3 492.3 - 85.0 71.0 32.0 -39.0
Gwent 931.0 883.0 - 48.0 421.7 374.7 -47.0
Gwynedd 46.5 92.2 + 45.7 333.2 325.7 - 7.5
Mid Glamorgan 1,197.0 1,031.3 -165.7 488.2 420.0 -68.2
Pembrokeshire 32.0 32.0
Powys 335.0 323.0 12.0 209.5 196.1 -13.4
South Glamorgan 687.8 654.6 - 33.2 411.1 384.3 -26.8
West Glamorgan 406.6 371.2 - 35.4 142.5 80.0 -62.5
1 Includes mental illness, mental illness (children), adolescent psychiatry, psychogeriatric and elderly mentally infirm.

Mr. Livsey

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received from general practitioners in Wales(a) opposing and (b) supporting the National Health Service White Paper "Working for Patients".

Mr. Grist

I refer the hon. Gentleman to my reply of 6 December to the hon. Member for Ynys Mon (Mr. Jones).

Aged 75–84 inclusive Aged 85 and over
1988 population county In thousands Per cent.1 In thousands Per cent.1
Clwyd 24.3 6.0 6.5 1.6
Dyfed 20.6 5.9 5.1 1.5
Gwent 22.5 5.0 5.7 1.3
Gwynedd 15.9 6.7 4.5 1.9
Mid Glamorgan 26.5 4.9 6.0 1.1
Powys 7.1 6.1 1.7 1.5
South Glamorgan 20.5 5.1 5.9 1.5
West Glamorgan 20.9 5.7 5.3 1.5
1As a percentage of total population of each county.

Source: OPCS mid year estimates of population.

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