§ Ms PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many intensive therapy unit beds for children there were in each of the last five years; and what was the total child population in each of those years;
(2) how many times in each of the last five years a child has been refused admission to children intensive therapy unit beds; and how many child intensive therapy unit beds are closed at present;
(3) what information she has on the children intensive therapy unit beds in each other EC country, and the total number of children in each of those countries;
(4) what was the number of (a) paediatric beds and (b) intensive care paediatric beds in each region in each of the last 10 years.
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§ Mr. Sackville[holding answer 10 June 1993]: Figures showing the number of beds allocated for paediatric care in each regional health authority from 1987–88 to 1991–92 are shown in the table with details of the population. For earlier years, from 1981, statistics were calculated on a different basis and are not comparable.
Although the figures show a decline in bed numbers in the period, patient activity has increased, due to the extended use of day surgery, decreases in lengths of stay, and developments in medical practice. Although the child population has remained fairly constant at around 9.5 million—under 16—patient activity in paediatrics increased by 58 per cent. between 1981 and 1988–89 and by 11.3 per cent. between 1988–89 and 1991–92.
Information on the number or management of designated paediatric intensive therapy beds here or in other European community countries is not available centrally. However, the Department has funded an independent survey of the beds currently available within the national health service as part of a review of the need for intensive care facilities for critically ill children which a working party established by the British Paediatric Association is carrying out. Its report is due in the autumn. We expect that it will help health authorities in assessing the needs of their child population and negotiating contracts with hospital provider units to meet these needs.
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Health visitors employed at district level by clinical grade September 1991 (whole-time equivalent) Region/district health authority Scale F Scale G Scale H Scale I Total ENGLAND TOTAL 230 8,230 1,620 300 10,380 Northern RHA 10 550 100 20 680 Yorkshire RHA 30 630 140 20 820 Trent RHA 10 810 150 40 1,000 East Anglian RHA 0 300 60 20 370 North West Thames RHA 40 590 150 30 820 North East Thames RHA 10 570 140 30 750 South East Thames RHA 0 540 130 30 700 South West Thames RHA 10 510 60 10 590 Wessex RHA 20 530 80 20 650 Oxford RHA 10 470 90 20 580 South Western RHA 20 530 ' 110 0 670 West Midlands RHA 20 890 160 40 1,110 Mersey RHA 10 380 90 10 500 North Western RHA 40 940 150 10 1,150 FHSA — 0 — — 0 Northern RHA 10 550 100 20 680 HQ and Units 0 100 20 10 120 Hartlepool 0 30 10 0 40 North Tees 0 30 0 0 30 South Tees — 0 0 — 0 East Cumbria 0 30 0 — 30 South Cumbria — 30 10 — 40 West Cumbria — 20 10 0 30 Darlington — 20 0 — 20 Durham — 20 10 — 30 North West Durham — 20 0 0 20 South West Durham — 20 10 — 30 Northumberland 0 70 10 — 70 Gateshead — 40 10 0 50 Newcastle 0 40 10 10 60 North Tyneside — — — — — South Tyneside — 30 0 0 30 Sunderland — 60 10 0 70 Yorkshire RHA 30 630 140 20 820 Hull 0 50 10 — 60
Average of daily number of available paediatric beds Region 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 Northern 825 778 742 714 Yorkshire 949 897 885 871 Trent 1,058 979 936 883 East Anglian 291 295 293 289 North West Thames 737 659 620 587 North East Thames 783 728 605 620 South East Thames 906 817 812 810 South West Thames n/a 546 526 492 Wessex 444 494 495 472 Oxford 363 428 426 413 South Western 617 577 554 548 West Midlands 1,227 1,194 1,145 1,120 Mersey 810 775 715 673 North Western 1,284 1,263 1,256 1,177 Special Health Authorities 520 485 469 445 England: Total paediatric beds 110,814 10,894 10,479 10,127 Child (under 16) (000s) Population 9,528.1 9,507.4 9,528.8 9,593.8 1 Excludes figure for South West Thames—n/a 1987–88.