HC Deb 15 June 1994 vol 244 c591W
Ms Primarolo

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds in each health authority are available for(a) respite care and (b) continuing care.

Mr. Bowis

Information collected centrally on numbers of beds does not include the classifications "respite care" and "continuing care". Information on national health service beds in England, classified by ward type, is published in "Bed availability for England (Financial year 1992–93)", a copy of which is available in the Library.

Ms Primarolo

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to impose an obligation on each district health authority to provide(a) respite care beds for Alzheimer's disease sufferers and (b) continuing care beds.

Mr. Bowis

Authorities should have a comprehensive range of services available to meet the various needs of those suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Vacant hospital consultant posts by specialty group England—30 September 1988–1992
Specialty group 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992
General medicine group 133.4 119.7 129.2 92.7 118.1
Accident and emergency 17.0 15.0 18.4 14.4 19.6
Surgical group 110.5 88.2 135.3 87.1 90.0
Obstetrics and gynaecology 25.0 17.9 23.4 18.0 23.0
Anaesthetics 100.2 70.3 87.9 50.3 88.0
Radiology group 38.3 34.6 33.9 18.8 21.9
Radiotherapy 6.7 4.2 7.2 6.0 5.0
Pathology group 70.3 39.0 49.9 36.6 23.4
Psychiatry group 268.9 193.4 217.3 150.1 152.7
Dental specialties 20.1 10.0 10.5 12.3 9.0
ALL SPECIALTIES 790.4 592.3 713.0 486.4 550.7

Note: The table shows whole-time equivalents.