§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the number of delayed discharges at hospitals in Gloucestershire; and if he will make a statement. [29303]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 22 January 2002]: The Gloucestershire Health Community has been working closely with Gloucestershire county council social services and the independent sector in order to reduce the number of patients who although fit to be discharged from hospital are still occupying an acute bed. Since July local information shows the average number of patients waiting for discharge has declined from 109 to 47 on 20 January.
The national health service regional office and social care region are closely monitoring the action being taken in Gloucestershire to reduce delayed discharges.
§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the anticipated impact on Gloucestershire of the structural reforms proposed for the NHS. [29310]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 22 January 2002]: The structural reforms proposed for the national health service will mean that as from April 2002, primary care trusts will be responsible for securing services, improving health and integrating health and social care in their areas. PCTs are local organisations led by clinicians and local people. They will work with partners from the local community to ensure that the local health service is responsive to local needs and best represents the needs of patients. By 2004, PCTs will receive 75 per cent. of the NHS budget to help them achieve their new agenda. All three PCTs in Gloucestershire will be located within the newly created Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire health authority, an organisation which will help to develop and performance manage the health service within its borders.
§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the availability of carers in Gloucestershire; and if he will make a statement. [29307]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 22 January 2002]: Gloucestershire county council have the statutory duty to provide home care in that county.
276WThe most recent statistics on domiciliary staff numbers employed by Gloucestershire county council returned to the Department, for the year 2000, are as follows:
Number Home/domiciliary care/help organizers 58 Assistant and trainee home care/help organizers 16 Home care staff/home helps 561 Councils generally provide a significant proportion of their home care by contracting private and voluntary sector agencies. Central data on the level of this provision are not kept.
§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of shortages of(a) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) scientific staff in the NHS in Gloucestershire; and if he will make a statement. [29306]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 22 January 2002]: Information on the number of vacancies at national health service trusts within Gloucestershire health authority in March 2001 that had been unfilled for more than three months are given in the table.
Vacancies in NHS trusts in Gloucestershire HA, all staff groups, three month vacancies1 for total of each group Number Medical and dental staff 0 Total consultants 0 Other doctor and dentists (excluding training grades) 0 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 50 Qualified Allied Health Professionals 10 1 Three month vacancies are vacancies as at 31 March 2001 which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole-time equivalents). Notes:
1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.
2. Qualified Allied Health Professionals includes qualified staff from the following occupational groups: chiropody, dietetics, occupational therapy, orthoptics/optics, physiotherapy, diagnostic and therapeutic radiography.
Source:
Department of Health Vacancies Survey 2001
§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) nursing home and (b) residential care home places there were (i) in May 1997 and (ii) at the latest date for which figures are available, in Gloucestershire; and if he will make a statement. [29304]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 22 January 2002]: The table shows the number of registered nursing beds in nursing homes, private hospitals and clinics and the number of places in residential care homes in Gloucestershire in 1997 and 2001.
277W
Number of nursing beds and residential places1 in Gloucestershire, 1997 and 2001—as at 31 March Nursing care1,2 Residential Care Total care beds 1997 4,047 3,737 7,784 2001 3,064 4,241 7,305 1 Excludes places in childrens' homes 2 Registered beds in general and mental nursing homes, private hospitals and clinics. 3 Information for registered nursing beds for 1997 relates to the period 1 October 1996 to 31 March 1997.
Source:
Department of Health Annual Statistical returns
§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) nurses and (b) doctors were employed in the NHS in Gloucestershire (i) in May 1997 and (ii) at the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [29308]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 22 January 2002]: The numbers of doctors and nurses employed in the national health service in Gloucestershire are shown in the table and show a 13.8 per cent. rise in the number of doctors and 2 per cent. rise in the number of nurses employed in the NHS in Gloucestershire between September 1997 and September 2000.
NHS Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): medical and dental staff1, general medical practitioners2 and nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff in Gloucestershire health authority each year as at 30 September Headcount 1997 2000 Gloucestershire HA All doctors 870 980 of which: HCHS doctors 500 610 Practitioners (excluding GP retainers) 360 380 All nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 5,420 5,530 of which: Qualified 3,360 3,590 Unqualified 1,830 1,720 Practice nurses 230 220 1 Figures exclude medical hospital practitioners and medical clinical assistants, most of whom are also GPs working part time in hospitals. 2 All practitioners (excluding GP retainers) include UPEs, restricted principals, assistants, GP registrars, salaried doctors (para. 52 SFA) and PMS others. GP retainers were collected for the first time in 1999, in 2000 there were 1,117 in England, 224 in South West RO and 44 in Gloucestershire HA. Notes:
1. Due to the new regional office boundaries in 1999 the 1997 figures are an estimated regional split.
2. Figures exclude learners and agency staff.
3. Due to rounding totals may not equal the sum of component parts.
4. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Sources:
Department of Health Medical and Dental Workforce Census.
Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.
Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.