§ Mrs. GormanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many regional health authority, district health authority, and national health service trust board posts are due to be filled in the current round of appointments; how many appointments have been made to date; and what proportion of the appointees are women.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe information requested is set out in the table.
We envisage that the second wave of NHS trusts will be established in the autumn. The appointment of chairmen and non-executive directors will be announced at the same time.
social services departments have a duty to provide services to people who are partially sighted, whether or not they are registered, if there is an established need. A range of services or concessions for people who are partially sighted is available from opticians, libraries, voluntary organisations, transport authorities and other public and private bodies, some of which may make registration a condition of eligibility. There is no specific social security provision for people who are registered as partially sighted.