HC Deb 11 February 1997 vol 290 cc161-2W
Mr. Butcher

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will meet representatives of private residential home proprietors in the Coventry area. [15358]

Mr. Burns

A meeting with representatives of private residential home proprietors from the Coventry area will be considered if they write setting out their concerns.

Mr. Butcher

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will examine the procedures under which the proprietors of residential homes in Coventry receive their allocation of clients. [15359]

Mr. Burns

We have issued a direction to local authorities which requires them to place residents in a care home of the resident's choice subject to certain criteria—for example, cost, and suitability—being met.

Mr. Butcher

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will conduct an investigation into the causes of bed blocking in Coventry health authority hospitals by elderly patients assessed as requiring residential or nursing home care. [15360]

Mr. Burns

The national health service executive routinely monitors information on the reasons for delayed hospital discharges. In addition, a joint review of personal social services within the Coventry area will be undertaken by the social services inspectorate and the Audit Commission within the next year.

We are aware that there have been some delays in discharging patients within Coventry health authority over recent weeks and that there are a number of patients in Walsgrave hospital awaiting residential and nursing home placements. It is expected that these placements will take place soon.

Coventry health authority, together with the Walsgrave Hospitals NHS trust and Coventry social services have been working to resolve these problems. They have, for example, put together a pilot scheme, which commenced on 5 February to provide a "halfway house" for some patients who are fit for discharge.

My hon. Friend may wish to contact Ms Caroline Andrew, chairman of Coventry health authority, for further details.

Mr. Butcher

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will conduct a survey of the weekly costs of residential care provision in(a) the non-profit and (b) the for-profit sectors in Coventry. [15361]

Mr. Burns

Information on the weekly costs of residential care in local authority and independent staffed homes for older people for 1994–95 can be found in table U1 of "Key Indicators of local authority social services 1996", copies of which are available in the Library.

Mr. Butcher

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will conduct a survey into the number of beds available in residential homes and nursing homes in(a) the for-profit and (b) non-profit sectors in Coventry. [15362]

Mr. Burns

The latest information is published in "Residential Accommodation Statistics 1996", which is summarised in the table.

Residential and nursing beds in Coventry, at 31 March 1996
Registered beds
Local authority homes 490
Residential homes
Voluntary sector 160
Private sector 1,280
Nursing homes1 570
Source:
Department of Health annual statistical returns RAC5, K036.
Note:
1 The nursing home data collected by the Department of Health do not distinguish between the private and voluntary sectors. Data held on the Laing and Buisson Care Homes Information database however suggests that approximately half of the registered beds are in the voluntary sector and half in the private sector.