§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set up an inquiry into the best means of providing information on bed availability to hospitals urgently requiring specialised intensive care facilities at other hospitals. [32842]
§ Mr. SackvilleIt is for health authorities and providers to ensure that hospitals have effective bed management procedures for intensive care and that specialist centres develop a co-ordinated approach to bed usage. There are currently several initiatives in hand to facilitate an immediate response to specialised intensive care units seeking to transfer a patient in the event of their having no spare capacity.