§ Mr. Gwilym Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received regarding the number of hospital beds in Wales; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Mark RobinsonWhile it is not disputed that there has been a reduction in the number of hospital beds in Wales, what I cannot agree with are attempts to use bed numbers by themselves as an indicator of the level of health care. Successive Governments have pursued a policy of replacing large numbers of old-fashioned hospitals with new more efficient ones with the potential to provide a higher level of patient care. In this context between 1974 and 1979 there was a decrease of 1,251 beds available in the NHS in Wales. Since 1979, some £490 million has been invested in the capital estate of the hospital and community health service in Wales, and five major hospital developments have been completed in this period, a sixth has been commissioned and there have been many other capital developments in existing hospitals, as well as the building of two nevi community hospitals. The 87W revenue resources made available to health authorities in Wales have increased by 33 per cent., after allowing for inflation, between 1978–79 and 1987–88.
A decline in bed numbers can actually represent an improvement in levels of care, as in the case of the fall of 996 in the number of mental illness and handicap beds between 1979 and 1985, which is in line with the Government's policy of returning such patients to more appropriate care in the community. Care in the community is also relevant to the acute hospital sector, and developments allowing increased treatment and care at home have contributed to the increase of 76,000 or 22 per cent. in the number of in-patient cases between 1979 and 1985. This additional health care has been supported by the increase of 13.5 per cent. in the numbers of hospital staff directly concerned with patient care between 1979 and 1986.