§ Mr. Ralph HowellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulance personnel were employed in each of the last 10 years in both(a) actual terms and (b) full-time equivalents.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe information is given in the table:
NHS ambulance staff in post at 30 September 1979 to 1988 England Numbers Ambulance officers and control assistants Ambulancemen/women Total 1979 3,178 13,997 17,175 1980 3,232 14,580 17,812 1981 3,206 15,059 18,265 1982 3,285 15,135 18,420 1983 3,273 15,245 18,518 1984 3,206 15,059 18,265 1985 3,172 15,220 18,392 1986 3,165 16,227 19,392 1987 3,086 16,592 19,678 1988 3,032 16,357 19,389 Source: Department of Health (SM13) annual census of NHS non-medical manpower.
NHS ambulance staff in post at 30 September 1979 to 1988 England Whole-time equivalent Ambulance officers and control assistants Ambulancemen/ women Total 1979 3,156 13,973 17,129 1980 3,214 14,554 17,768 1981 3,293 14,928 18,221 1982 3,265 15,059 18,324 1983 3,249 15,148 18,397 1984 3,174 14,930 18,103 1985 3,139 15,049 18,188 1986 3,124 15,841 18,966 1987 3,037 15,973 19,010 1988 2,980 15,781 18,761 Source: Department of Health (SM13) annual census of NHS non-medical manpower.
§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place a copy of the document "The London Ambulance Service in the Nineties: Management Proposals" in the Library; how many district health 409W authorities in London will be affected by the proposals contained in the document; and whether similar proposals are being prepared or discussed for any other regions.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe document "The London Ambulance Service in the Nineties" is a public document which is available on request from South West Thames RHA. I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library.
South West Thames is currently discussing the proposals it contains with the three other Thames regions. In all, 32 DHAs are served by the London ambulance service.
A number of other regional health authorities are reviewing the management arrangements of their regionally managed ambulance services in line with the Department's circular EL(89)MB/59, a copy of which is in the Library.
§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any plans to proceed with the privatisation or contracting out of non-emergency ambulance services.
§ Mr. FreemanHealth authorities were advised in 1984 that it was open to them to buy-in part of the ambulance service if that was more cost effective and provided that the quality of service was maintained. A number of NHS ambulance authorities are using private contractors, the hospital car service and the voluntary aid societies to transport appropriate NHS patients. The proposals in the National Health Service and Community Care Bill currently before Parliament offer a further opportunity for authorities to re-appraise their non-emergency patient transport services.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies have been carried out by his Department of the costs benefits and processes of privatising ambulance services; when these studies started and were completed; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyNo such studies into the ambulance service have been carried out. However, in 1983, a Rayner scrutiny of the non-emergency ambulance service recommended that budgets for transport should be introduced at unit or clinical level and that it would be for managers at that level to buy in part of the ambulance service of other public agencies or the private sector if that was more cost effective and provided that the quality of service was maintained. Health authorities were advised accordingly in 1984.
A scheme for charging the cost of non-emergency ambulance services to units has been piloted in the West Midlands RHA and a full report of the results is expected shortly.