HC Deb 17 January 1996 vol 269 cc640-5W
Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was(a) the number of intensive care beds within each health board area, (b) the number of people living within each board area and (c) the ratio of patients to intensive care beds in each financial year since 1979–80; [9841]

(2) what steps his Department has taken to increase the number of intensive care beds available in Scotland and the effectiveness of the intensive care system with particular reference to rural areas. [9842]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

The tables show the number of intensive care beds by health board area of treatment, the estimated population resident in each health board area and the average number of patients discharged per available staffed beds by health board area of treatment.

NHSiS—Intensive care beds1: by health board area of treatment: Years ending 31 March
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987
Scotland 135 137 142 159 166 168 166 166
Argyll and Clyde 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 3
Ayrshire and Arran 5 5 5 7 10 8 6 8
Borders
Dumfries and Galloway 2 8 8 8 8 8
Fife
Forth Valley 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Grampian 6 6 6 6 10 11 11 11
Greater Glasgow 72 72 74 80 81 81 81 80
Highland 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 6
Lanarkshire 15 15 16 19 19 20 19 18
Lothian 12 12 12 12 11 12 12 14
Orkney
Shetland
Tayside 13 14 14 14 15 15 16 15
Western Isles

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Scotland 166 182 188 198 219 230 250 247
Argyll and Clyde 1 4 7 12 13
Ayrshire and Arran 6 6 6 6 7 8 8 8
Borders 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Dumfries and Galloway 8 8 8 8 8 8 16 14
Fife 5 6
Forth Valley 4 4 9 9 9 9 9 9
Grampian 11 10 10 10 10 11 10 11
Greater Glasgow 75 76 78 77 77 77 75 75
Highland 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
Lanarkshire 19 24 31 35 37 37 37 37
Lothian 21 30 25 28 38 41 41 40
Orkney
Shetland
Tayside 15 15 15 15 20 24 28 25
Western Isles

Note:

1Average available staffed beds in the speciality of intensive therapy unit.

Source:

ISD(S)1.

NHSIS—Estimated Population resident in Health boards in Scotland: As at 30 June
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986
Scotland 5,167,000 5,153,300 5,180,200 5,166,800 5,152,600 5,145,602 5,136,900 5,123,000
Argyll and Clyde 480,653 459,282 455,045 452,700 450,700 448,000 447,200 445,300
Ayrshire and Arran 376,027 375,759 377,854 377,000 376,600 376,700 376,200 376,200
Borders 99,938 99,510 101,256 101,100 101,100 101,300 101,700 101,700
Dumfries and Galloway 142,547 142,465 145,502 145,400 145,400 145,500 145,600 145,400

It is for individual health boards and NHS trusts to ensure an appropriate level of intensive care bed provision to meet the needs of their population. The clinical resource and audit group and the Scottish management efficiency group produced a report in 1991 which made a number of recommendations relating to the effectiveness of adult intensive care such as the staffing of intensive care units and the piloting of guidelines for admission and discharge. A survey of intensive care facilities in all Scottish health board areas, which was carried out by the Scottish Office in August 1995, showed that health boards keep the need for intensive care services in their areas under review. I have asked general managers of health boards to continue to monitor the provision and use of intensive care facilities.

NHSIS—Estimated Population resident in Health boards in Scotland: As at 30 June
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986
Fife 340,170 340,341 341,589 342,500 344,200 345,900 346,200 346,600
Forth Valley 271,177 271,210 273,515 273,300 273,100 273,200 272,900 272,500
Grampian 469,168 471,944 464,899 490,400 494,500 498,000 501,600 504,500
Greater Glasgow 1,023,083 1,012,041 1,007,325 996,700 986,600 978,200 968,600 960,500
Highland 190,507 191,188 194,903 195,000 195,700 196,702 197,800 199,000
Lanarkshire 571,338 571,737 574,589 573,100 571,800 570,700 568,500 565,300
Lothian 750,728 748,603 749,591 749,100 745,900 746,400 745,900 743,100
Orkney 16,134 18,030 19,182 19,100 19,200 19,200 19,200 19,100
Shetland 22,111 22,309 26,347 24,100 22,300 22,200 22,300 22,400
Tayside 401,661 399,191 397,055 395,800 394,100 392,400 392,100 390,500
Western Isles 29,758 29,681 31,548 31,600 31,400 31,200 31,100 31,000

1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994
Scotland 5,112,604 5,093,414 5,096,628 5,102,296 5,107,000 5,111,200 5,120,200 5,132,400
Argyll and Clyde 442,700 441,300 440,000 439,518 437,400 434,300 432,800 433,000
Ayrshire and Arran 376,400 376,000 376,400 376,700 376,900 376,600 376,800 377,000
Borders 102,000 102,304 102,810 103,616 104,100 104,800 105,300 105,700
Dumfries and Galloway 145,504 145,700 147,100 147,630 147,700 147,900 147,900 147,800
Fife 346,700 346,600 347,600 348,800 349,400 349,900 351,200 352,100
Forth Valley 272,800 272,200 272,104 273,020 272,900 272,700 272,900 273,400
Grampian 504,600 503,500 507,600 510,200 515,600 522,400 528,100 532,500
Greater Glasgow 952,200 940,400 932,700 924,500 922,600 918,200 915,700 916,600
Highland 198,700 199,510 200,614 202,612 204,100 205,900 206,900 207,500
Lanarkshire 564,200 561,900 562,200 562,700 561,300 561,600 561,400 561,200
Lothian 744,600 742,900 747,100 750,300 751,000 750,600 753,900 758,600
Orkney 19,100 19,200 19,300 19,400 19,560 19,710 19,760 19,810
Shetland 22,400 22,300 22,200 22,400 22,540 22,640 22,830 22,880
Tayside 390,200 389,300 388,900 391,100 392,500 394,600 395,200 395,000
Western Isles 30,500 30,300 30,000 29,800 29,400 29,350 29,410 29,310

Source:

Registrar General for Scotland.

NHSIS—Intensive care units1—average number of patients discharged per available staffed bed; By health board area of treatment: Years ending 31 March
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987
Scotland 66 68 71 72 69 72 75 77
Argyll and Clyde 96 106 113 103 101 100 111 119
Ayrshire and Arran 145 146 138 70 32 42 57 44
Borders
Dumfries and Galloway 90 94 100 102 107 107
Fife
Forth Valley 122 116 116 113 115 127 116 128
Grampian 13 12 18 7 28 28 31 32
Greater Glasgow 57 58 60 65 67 66 67 68
Highland 88 92 100 97 93 94 100 102
Lanarkshire 57 62 65 62 64 64 67 73
Lothian 92 104 107 117 101 111 123 123
Orkney
Shetland
Tayside 61 62 64 70 71 74 82 79
Western Isles

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Scotland 277 80 86 94 298 99 92 94
Argyll and Clyde n/s n/s 135 101 83
Ayrshire and Arran 68 81 72 93 85 91 88 84
Borders 43 69 65 83 95 97 93
Dumfries and Galloway 125 148 141 150 181 180 105 116
Fife 59 64
Forth Valley 129 115 82 97 97 97 85 81
Grampian 29 42 57 66 72 65 44 43
Greater Glasgow 78 81 81 84 84 83 84 80

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Highland 111 113 113 119 111 122 116 135
Lanarkshire 70 77 77 95 96 98 90 92
Lothian 64 70 102 118 108 103 106 107
Orkney
Shetland
Tayside 82 82 88 97 128 119 112 112
Western Isles

Notes:

1Activity in the speciality of intensive therapy unit.

2 Excludes Argyll and Clyde.

n/s = Not shown—the figures for 1988 and 1992 are not shown because of concern over the accuracy of available data.

Source:

ISD(S)I.