§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 14 October 2003,Official Report, column 52W, on the NHS Estate (Health and Safety), what percentage of patient-occupied floor area was below (a) health and safety compliance and (b) fire safety standards in (i) England, (ii) each strategic health authority and (iii) each NHS trust in each year since 1997. [133430]
§ Mr. HuttonNationally, figures for the proportion of patient occupied floor area that is not compliant with statutory health and safety and statutory fire safety regulations, including compliance with the National 137W Health Service Firecode Standards, are 9.71 per cent. and 7.31 per cent. in 2002–03, a reduction from the 2001–02 figures.
Data collection began in 2001–02 and the information requested has been placed in the Library. Owing to trust mergers in 2002–03, direct comparison with data for 2001–02 is not possible in all cases.
These figures reflect the proportion of the estate that is not fully compliant. Non-compliance covers a wide variety of conditions, including that which is just below standard. Therefore, the figures do not indicate levels of risk. Trusts make every effort to remedy any concerns from local enforcement bodies as quickly as possible. This is reflected in the very small numbers of injuries and deaths arising as a result of fires and reportable health and safety incidents in NHS hospitals in England, despite the very high numbers of people who use healthcare premises.