§ Mr. Beanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will publish details in the Official Report of the total 517W number of beds in the Medway Hospital Group; how this compares with the national average; and what is, for an area of this population, the considered optimum number of beds.
§ Dr. OwenThe figures are not readily available. I shall be writing to my hon. Friend.
ENGLAND Average daily number of available beds 1973 Number of beds required Shortfall (-) Excess (+) Medical … 55,836 — —* Surgery (including Gynaecology) … 81,351 Maternity (including General Practitioners beds) … 21,804 18,500 + 3,304† Geriatric … 56,184 63,615 -7,431‡ Mental Illness and Mental Handicap … 165,465 — —§ * The actual number of beds considered adequate to meet demand can only be determined by local considerations. Currently hospitals are being designed to acute bed ratios ranging between 2 and 2.8 beds/1,000 population. † The bed requirement has been calculated on a national basis and the excess shown masks some local deficiencies. ‡ These beds are provided at the rate of 10 per 1,000 population age 65 and over. § Plans for the development of services for the mentally ill and mentally handicapped envisage an expansion of day and out—patient facilities and local authority day and residential services with a corresponding reduction in the number of hospital beds.