§ Mr. LathamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average length of time spent by mothers who have given birth to their first babies in district general hospitals between the birth and their discharge; what is the average lying-in period in maternity units in small local community hospitals; and what advice he has given to regional health authorities about the provision of lying-in time, especially for those mothers having their first babies.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyInformation is not held centrally on length of stay in maternity units which distinguishes between district general hospitals and smaller local hospitals, nor are we able to identify first babies. In 1985, the last year for which data are available, the average length of stay post-delivery for all births was 4.1 days.
It is for health authorities to determine their own policies on post-natal care including the timing of hospital discharge which, in addition to a clinical assessment of the health of mothers and their babies, takes into account the family's social and economic circumstances, the location of the maternity unit in relation to the centres of population and the scope of the community health services.