§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will issue guidelines to local authorities about appropriate levels of service for hospital social work.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyResponsibility for providing social work services to hospitals rests with local authorities under arrangements established in 1974. Local authority circular LAC(91)14 and NHS executive letter EL(91)122 issued in October clarified the position. Copies are available in the Library.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the progress of the social services inspectorate's inspection of social care to NHS patients.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe inspection process is underway. Fieldwork in five local authorities in England is due to be completed in February 1992 and a report subsequently prepared.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he is making on establishing agreements about funding hospital social work services in London.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe Department has completed a pilot exercise to provide information about the provision of health-related social work services by local authorities to non-residents. The outcome will be discussed with the Local Authority Associations at the end of November.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that high-quality hospital social work services are part of the community care plans currently being drawn up by local authorities.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyAn integral part of local authorities community care plans will be their plans for health-related social work. This was made clear in local authority circular LAC(91)14, a copy of which is available in the Library.