§ Sir David PriceTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many health districts have currently a specialised service for the psychiatry of old age and of those which do not; how many have plans to establish such a service within the next three years;
(2) how many consultants are currently working within the National Health Service in the field of old age psychiatry; and how many more are needed to ensure that every district health authority has sufficient consultants specialising in old age psychiatry on the basis of consultant cover of one session for every 2,000 elderly people.
§ Mr. FreemanWe do not hold this information centrally. In a joint report published in February this year the Royal Colleges of Psychiatrists and Physicians estimate that there are currently 243 consultants working in old age psychiatry and that 152 district health authorities have specialised services. These figures represent a considerable advance in recent years. Detailed planning and provision of services is a matter for individual health authorities. The appointment of at least one psychogeriatrician in each health district is a key priority in our policy to provide a comprehensive range of services for the elderly mentally ill.