HC Deb 13 December 1990 vol 182 cc471-2W
Mr. Mullin

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the size of population served by Gloucester district health authority in 1979 and 1990, and the proportion of the population aged over 60 years in 1979 and 1990.

Mr. Dorrell

The estimated resident population of Gloucester district health authority at mid-1989, the latest date for which an estimate is available, is 315,800 of whom 21.1 per cent. are aged 60 and over. The estimated population for the same area at mid-1979 is 297,600, of whom 19.3 per cent. were aged 60 and over.

Mr. Mullin

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by category the number of staff employed by the Gloucester district health authority(a) in 1979 and (b) in 1990.

Mr. Dorrell

The table shows the figures for 1982 and 1989.

Due to the reorganisation of health authority boundaries in 1982, information on the number of staff employed by health authorities in Gloucestershire prior to this date is not comparable with later years. The hon. Member may wish to write to Ms. R. Frichie, the chairman of Gloucester health authority, for information in 1990, which is not held centrally.

NHS Staff in Post by Main Staff Groups at 30 September for 1982 and 1989 Gloucester District Health Authority
Whole-time Equivalents1
Main Staff Groups 1982 1989
Medical and Dental2 170 130
Nursing and Midwifery3 2,330 2,370
Professional and Technical (Excluding Works) 400 450
Works 20 10
Maintenance 120 80
Administrative and Clerical (Including Managers) 530 590
Ambulance 230 240
Ancillary 900 640
Total 4,690 4,530

Source: Department of health (SM13) annual censuses of NHS medical and non-medical manpower.

1 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10 whole-time equivalents.

2 Includes Permanent Paid Honorary staff and locums. Excludes Consultants and Senior Registrars in Non-Teaching District Health Authorities and Senior Registrars in Teaching District Health Authorities. These still have their contract with the RHA.

3 Includes agency staff.

Mr. Mullin

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide the number of hospital beds available in the Gloucester district health authority area in 1979 and 1990 and the projected total for 1992.

Mr. Dorrell

Between 1979 and 1989–90, the average daily number of beds in national health service hospitals in Gloucester district health authority, taking boundary changes into account, reduced from 2,192 to 1,664. Over the period 1979 to 1989–90 the total number of in-patient discharges and deaths and day case attendances rose by 26 per cent. from 33,000 to 42,000.

The hon. Member may wish to write to Ms. R. Frichie, the chairman of Gloucester health authority, for estimates for 1992 which are not held centrally.