§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many privately-run and owned nursing homes are registered with Durham Health Authority; and how many were so registered in each of the last five years. [117213]
§ Mr. HuttonThe information available is in the table.
However, the Department recognises that suspected cases of Munchhausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP) are among the most difficult and demanding areas of activity to undertake for paediatricians and other professional groups devoted to child care and protection.
Whatever the circumstances of individual cases, it remains true that the professionals involved are best placed to decide on the most appropriate means of determining whether MSBP is at issue and, if so, how to act in the best interests of the child and the carer throughout any intervention.