§ Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many hospital beds have been closed in each hospital region from 1 January 1980 to the last date for which figures are available; and how many closures are contemplated for the financial year 1982–83.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[pursuant to his reply, 2 March 1982, c. 129]: Bed closures take place for a variety of reasons, including replacement by new hospital building; developments in medical practice such as increase in day care and shorter length of stay; concentration of facilities to make more effective use of available manpower and financial resources; and population changes. Figures of bed closures alone should not therefore be used as any basis for estimating changes in the level of health care provision in any region.
Information on closures is not held centrally in the form requested, but between 1 January 1980 and 31 December 1981 decisions were taken to close permanently hospitals or parts of hospitals which will involve the following number of beds: 94W
Regional Health Authority Area Number of beds Northern 44 Yorkshire 170 Trent 626 East Anglia 60 North West Thames 433 North East Thames 546 South East Thames 244 South West Thames 835 Wessex 402 Oxford 86 South Western NIL West Midlands 387 Mersey 499 North Western 159 Not all these closures will yet have taken place.
At 31 December 1981, the Department has been notified by area health authorities of proposals to close permanently other hospitals or parts of hospital buildings involving the following number of beds:
Regional Health Authority Area Number of beds Northern 219 Yorkshire 424 Trent 165 East Anglia NIL North West Thames 47 North East Thames 208 South East Thames 51 South West Thames NIL Wessex 23 Oxford NIL South Western 16 West Midlands 67 Mersey NIL North Western NIL In addition, proposals notified by postgraduate boards of governors involve 53 beds. It is not possible to say when decisions will be taken on these proposals.