§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will list, by health board, the number of beds available in continuing care for elderly people in the national health service in Scotland.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe average number of available staffed beds for long term care of elderly patients, by health board is as follows:
Average available staffed beds year ending 31 March 1990 Health board Number Argyll and Clyde 746 Ayrshire and Arran 610 Borders 192 Dumfries and Galloway 308 Fife 591 Forth Valley 515 Grampian 1,087 Greater Glasgow 1,599 Highland 392 Lanarkshire 853 Lothian 1,087 Orkney 51 Shetland 89 Tayside 652 Western Isles 108 Scotland 8,880 In addition, there was for all Scotland an average of 5,914 available staffed beds for geriatric psychiatry.
§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will list, by health board, the number of beds in continuing care for elderly people which have been contracted out in Scotland.
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§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe average numbers of available staffed beds in joint user and contractual hospitals for the year ending 31 March 1989, the latest date for which information is centrally available, were as follows:
Number Argyll and Clyde 14 Greater Glasgow 24 Lanarkshire 54 Lothian 160 Scotland 252
§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to ensure continuing care provision in the NHS for elderly people in Scotland.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe level of service provision is a matter for individual health boards taking account of local needs. The Government have endorsed the SHARPEN report "Scottish Health Authorities' Review of Priorities for the Eighties and Nineties" which gives the highest priorities to services for old people with dementia, in hospitals and in the community, and to care in the community with particular reference to services for elderly people.