§ Mr. Dunnettasked the Minister of Health if he is aware that for the Nottingham area there are only 640 beds available in hospitals for the chronic and elderly sick, being an average of 0.9 beds per 1,000 population, and that this is below the national average of 1.28 and well below his Department's recommended standard of 1.4; and what plans he has to make available further accommodation of this type in the area.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonThe current number of beds available for geriatric and elderly chronic sick patients in the Nottingham area of the Sheffield hospital region is 643, which is approximately 8 per 1,000 persons aged 65 or over in the area. The standard of provision which I commended to Hospital Boards302W for planning purposes is 10 such beds per 1,000 persons aged 65 or over. I am considering the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board's proposals for increasing the geriatric provision in the Nottingham area as part of my review of the Hospital Plan, on which I hope to report before the end of June.