§ Mr. WyattTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will establish a national register for(a) care workers and (b) care assistants dealing with the elderly. [98513]
§ Mr. HuttonWe will establish the General Social Care Council by statute. We intend that the Council will be able to register social care staff on the basis of their having successfully completed a period of approved training and other evidence of their fitness to work with the general public.
§ Mr. WyattTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints his Department has received in the last five years about(a) care workers, (b) care assistants and (c) registered nurses dealing with the elderly. [98472]
§ Mr. HuttonThe Department receives a few letters each year complaining about people who care for the elderly. Responsibility for investigating complaints rests with the relevant regulatory authority and complaints received by the Department are referred to them. The Department does not, therefore, maintain a database of complaints.
144WHowever, the Registration and Inspection Survey for 1996–97 is able to provide some information about the number of complaints about adult residential care for the local authority and independent sector. There were a total of 4,249 complaints—3,133 of these required substantial investigation.
The United Kingdom Central Council publishes information about complaints about nurses in its annual reports.
§ Mr. WyattTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) professional care workers, (b) care assistants and (c) registered nurses there are in England who are exclusively occupied with the elderly. [98470]
§ Mr. HuttonInformation on the number of care and nursing staff exclusively occupied with the elderly in England is not held centrally. In 1998, the latest year for which information is available, there was a total of 33,000 directly-employed local authority care workers (including care assistants) in England mainly caring for elderly people in residential and day care settings. The whole time equivalent number of staff was 21,400. In addition, the table shows the information available from National Health Service hospital and community health services.
NHS Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): All acute, elderly and general care assistants and qualified nurses, in England as at 30 September 1998 Whole time equivalent staff Number of staff Health care assistants 11,890 14,020 Support worker 11,760 16,810 Total Qualified Nursing staff 131,270 161,980 Manager 2,320 2,440 Registered Sick children's nurse 460 600 Other 1st level 113,980 139,070 Other 2nd level 14,510 19,870 Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest ten
2. Due to rounding totals may not equal the sum of component parts
3. Figures exclude learners and agency staff
Source:
Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census