§ Mr. CrausbyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what percentage of the population aged between 16 and 65 years use the accident and emergency departments at least once a year; [61012]
(2) what percentage of the population aged between 16 and 65 years was admitted to hospital on at least one occasion in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [61011]
§ Mr. HuttonThe information is not available centrally in the form requested.
It is not currently possible to provide a count of the number of occasions an individual is admitted to hospital, although development work is under way to enable such counts to be made in the future. In 1997–98, there were 10,368,844 hospital admissions, of whom 5,720,065 were aged between 16 and 65.
Information on the number of new and follow-up attendances at accident and emergency departments is not broken down by age groups. The most recent information is set out in the Departmental publication, "Outpatients and ward attenders, England, Financial Year 1997–98", copies of which are available in the Library.
Royal Commission on Long-term Care of the Elderly
§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioner representatives there are on the Royal Commission on Long-term Care of the Elderly. [61426]
§ Mr. HuttonThe membership of the Royal Commission on Long-Term Care of the Elderly includes people with knowledge of the public and independent sectors, health and social care, housing, finance and consumer affairs. They were chosen for their skills and experience, rather than to represent particular interests. Age Concern, Help the Aged and the National Pensioners Convention are members of the commission's reference group, which includes charities and other organisations representing people who may find themselves in long-term care; the financial services sector; the NHS; local government and other service provider bodies; and representatives of the major faiths in the United Kingdom. By this means, the commission is drawing on the most up-to-date experience of users and carers.