§ Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the number of children at present inappropriately placed in long-stay hospitals.
§ Mr. StewartExcluding those on respite care, there are currently 21 children aged 15 or under who are long-term residents in NHS facilities, of which only five are located in a hospital. It is for individual health boards, as purchasers of health care, together with the other care agencies to assess whether continuing in-patient care is appropriate to an individual child's needs.
§ Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what target date he has set for the discharge of those children with disabilities who are being inappropriately cared for, at present, in long-stay hospitals; and what progress has been made since the publication of the White Paper, "Scotland's Children", on finding appropriate accommodation and support for such children.
§ Mr. StewartWe have established that there is only a small number of children under 16 who are long stay 329W residents in national health service facilities. Many have complex needs and we will be discussing with health boards and social work departments the best form of facilities for them.