§ Rev. Ian PaisleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many assessments were carried out in each unit of management within the health and social services boards in the last year for which figures are available; and, of those assessed, how many were not referred for further care and how many were referred to institutional care in(a) the statutory sector, (b) the voluntary sector and (c) the private sector.
§ Mr. AncramInformation in the form requested is not available. Figures for assessments of individual need for178W community care were not routinely collected prior to April 1993. In the six-month period from April to September 1993, 3,521 assessments were completed in Northern Ireland. Of those assessed, 2,258 had been provided with community care packages at 30 September 1993. One thousand and sixty-two—47 per cent.—of these were referred for domiciliary care, 483–21 per cent.—for residential care, and 713–32 per cent.—for nursing home care. One hundred and eighty-eight clients were placed in board-managed residential homes.
§ Rev. Ian PaisleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many additional staff have been recruited by each of the health and social services boards; and how many staff have been transferred to the community care role in the last year.
§ Mr. AncramThere has been a reduction in the number of staff employed in each health and social services board over the period September 1992 to September 1993. The percentage reductions are as follows:
Per cent. Eastern health and social services board 9.56 Northern health and social services board 6.01 Southern health and social services board 4.67 Western health and social services board 7.74 Information on the transfer of staff to the community care role is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Notes:
1. Directly managed units and HSS trusts within each board area are included in the calculations.
2. The Eastern ambulance- trust, blood transfusion service, provider support unit and supplies distribution centre are excluded from Eastern board calculations.
3. Traditional nurse students who are employees of the boards are included. Project 2000 nurse students are not employees and are therefore excluded.
§ Rev. Ian PaisleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the reasons for deciding not to meet the Northern Ireland Care Homes Association and Crestacare to discuss the implications of the way community care has been introduced in the Province; if he will now meet them; and what role he sees for Northern Ireland Care Homes Association and Crestacare in the future management of community care.
§ Mr. AncramMy noble Friend is to meet the chief executive of Crestacare in the near future. Although any future requests for meetings will be considered on their merit, it is not possible for my noble Friend to accede to every request for a meeting. Many issues are more usefully discussed with Department officials or health and social services boards.
My noble Friend believes that both Crestacare and the northern Northern Ireland Care Homes Association have an important contribution to make in providing residential and nursing home care to people for whom such care is purchased by boards. It is also expected that they will have an increasing role to play in the provision of domiciliary services.
§ Rev. Ian PaisleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the extent to which current care provisions in the community 179W need to be altered to comply with new EC requirements on lifting and handling; and what funds he is making available for this.
§ Mr. AncramNone. Health and social services boards are expected to comply with current EC regulations on lifting and handling within existing resources.