HC Deb 20 June 1995 vol 262 cc135-6
1. Mr. Robathan

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking to ensure that there are sufficient hospital beds for acute admissions in Leicestershire. [27711]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Mr. John Bowis)

It is for the local health authorities, working with local trusts and other providers, to plan for the right number of beds and other services to meet the identified needs of the local population.

Mr. Robathan

Although I appreciate that it is not the direct responsibility of his Department, my hon. Friend will know that there has been grave concern in Leicestershire about the number of acute and emergency beds available. There have been some publicised incidents in which people have been kept waiting for some time on trolleys in Leicestershire hospitals. I am aware of the good work of the bed bureau in Leicestershire, but will he assure me and the people of Leicestershire that sufficient beds will be made available for their needs in the near future?

Mr. Bowis

The specific question is rightly directed to Leicestershire. My hon. Friend rightly praised the bed bureau for its work; it had a remarkably good success rate right the way through 1994, including the winter months, but, during a couple of months this spring, a problem was caused by extra demand and staff sickness. That has been tackled, and the good news for Leicestershire is that, for 1995–96, the cash allocation goes up by 5.4 per cent. We can therefore look forward to ever-improving services for the people of that county.

Mrs. Beckett

Does the Minister not recognise that, despite the Department's recent conversion to evidence-based policy making, in all too many parts of the country, as in Leicestershire, beds are being closed at a rate that seems to anticipate changes in the delivery of health care rather than to follow in their footsteps, despite lack of evidence, and without evaluation of effects and monitoring of what is happening? As a result, in many parts of the country, including Leicestershire, too many patients are chasing too few beds, and it is his Department's responsibility.

Mr. Bowis

The right hon. Lady has widened this somewhat from Leicestershire. If one widened it still further and considered comparisons round the world, one would find that the trend here in in-patient beds per thousand is on the same graph as it is in the United States of America, Italy and many other countries of Europe, including Ireland.

The important thing is that, in 1993–94, 8.2 million episodes were carried out. The average wait, which in 1988 was more than nine months, has gone down to under five months. The number of day cases has gone up by 66 per cent. In counties such as Leicestershire, there are improvements day by day, to which the right hon. Lady failed to give a moment's regard, much less a moment's praise.

Let me refer the right hon. Lady to the rapid access chest pain assessment service at Glenfield general hospital, enabling general practitioner referrals on the same day for many people. She should pay tribute to progress, and not find nit-picking criticisms based on somewhere that has nothing to do with Leicestershire.

Mr. Garnier

My hon. Friend will know from his days as a Conservative party agent in Leicestershire of the good work of the national health service in that county. Will he take the opportunity in the near future to return to Leicestershire to consider the work of LOROS—the Leicestershire Organisation for the Relief of Suffering—which has an excellent hospice in the constituency of the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, West (Mr. Janner), which is doing sterling work but which is 50 per cent. funded by the NHS and 50 per cent. funded by voluntary subscription? Will my hon. Friend ensure that the health service continues to donate 50 per cent. of funding to that most wonderful hospice?

Mr. Bowis

I am always pleased to be invited to return to my former county of Leicestershire. When I am next there, I shall try to make time to visit the hospice to which my hon. and learned Friend rightly pays tribute. He also pays tribute to the fact that, under this Government, the hospice movement has really taken off. The funding for hospices, the work in palliative care and our recent guidance on continuing care where palliative care is concerned show that that sector has an excellent future while the Government are in power.

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