§ Mr. ButlerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases were on the inpatient waiting list in the Mersey regional health authority at the latest available date.
§ Mr. MellorOn 30 September 1988, there were 32,121 such cases.
§ Mr. ButlerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what services have been contracted out within the Mersey regional health authority to date; and what savings have been made or are expected from such contracting-out.
§ Mr. FreemanThis information is not collected centrally in the form requested. As a result of the Government's 1983 competitive tendering initiative for domestic, catering and laundry services annual savings of almost £6 million have been generated in the Mersey region with around £1½ million resulting from contracts awarded to outside contractors. This tendering process is being extended within the region, to varying degrees, to portering services, grounds and gardens, building, engineering and equipment maintenance, energy management, waste disposal and computer information services, with outside contractors winning some contracts or otherwise stimulating improvements in in-house services. For more detailed information my hon. Friend may wish to contact the chairman of the regional health authority.
§ Mr. ButlerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many capital schemes of over £1 million(a) have been completed and (b) are under construction in the National Health Service Mersey region since 1979.
§ Mr. FreemanInformation held centrally shows that 22 schemes over £1 million have been completed in the National Health Service Mersey region since 1 January 1979, for a total expenditure, including fees and equipment of approximately £140 million, and one is under construction.
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Perinatal1 and neonatal2 mortality rates, European Economic Community countries 1982–88 Country 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 Perinatal Belgium 12.6 12.2 11.3 n/a n/a n/a n/a Denmark 8.7 9.0 8.4 8.1 8.4 n/a n/a France 12.1 11.4 11.1 10.7 10.4 n/a n/a Greece 16.8 16.5 16.6 15.7 n/a n/a n/a Ireland 13.5 13.7 13.6 12.3 n/a n/a n/a Italy 16.0 15.2 314. 5 313.2 312.8 n/a n/a Luxembourg 12.0 10.7 8.8 7.8 7.2 n/a n/a Netherlands 10.0 10.1 10.0 9.8 9.7 n/a n/a Portugal 23.8 21.4 21.0 21.6 19.9 n/a n/a Spain 12.9 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
§ Mr. ButlerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the percentage bed occupancy was in(a) the Mersey regional health authority and (b) England in the latest available year.
§ Mr. FreemanThe information requested is given in the table. The health services information steering group (chaired by Mrs. E. Korner) recommended in its first report that bed occupancy statistics no longer be used as an indicator of efficient bed use.
Average daily available beds and occupied beds, 1987–88 Available beds Occupied beds Percentage occupancy England 297,342 240,0001 81 Mersey regional health authority 16,653 13,820 83 1 Estimate
§ Mr. ButlerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the level of health expenditure in the Mersey region, expressed per household in(a) 1978–79 and (b) the latest available year in (i) cash terms and (ii) terms adjusted for inflation.
§ Mr. FreemanExpenditure by household for individual regional health authorities is not available centrally. My hon. Friend may therefore wish to write to the chairman of Mersey regional health authority who may be able to provide information.
My hon. Friend may however find the following centrally available information of help. Per capita expenditure by Mersey regional health authority on hospital and community health services in 1978–79 = £91.34 million.
The comparable figure for 1987–88 (latest year available) = £229.77 million in cash terms and (ii) £112.47 million expressed by 1978–79 values (a real terms increase of 23 per cent.).
These figures exclude expenditure on the family practitioner services in the Mersey region.