§ Paul FarrellyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people are receiving NHS-funded100W continuing care in (a) NHS hospitals and (b) nursing homes in each strategic health authority area in the UK; [80489]
(2) how many continuing care assessments have been made each year since 1996 in the area of the former North Staffordshire health authority; and of those, how many have been deemed (a) eligible and (b) not eligible to receive NHS-funded continuing care. [80487]
§ Jacqui SmithThe information requested is not collected centrally. Data for newly eligible patients in North Staffordshire for the period 1996–97 to 2000–01 are in the table. Data for patients who are not eligible have never been collected. No more recent data exists. From March 2003, the Department will be collecting information on the total number of people receiving continuing national health service health care and the number of people newly meeting eligibility criteria for continuing NHS health care.
Number of people newly meeting 'eligibility' criteria for continuing in-patient care, North Staffordshire health authority Physically ill Mentally ill Others Total 2000–01 90 45 51 186 1999–2000 87 42 48 177 1998–99 90 42 49 181 1997–98 1— 1— 1— 215 1996–97 1— 1— 1— 289 1 ata not subdivided