§ 61. Mr. Jannerasked the Minister of Health how many of the 500,000 people waiting for hospital beds are children; and the usual average period of waiting for a bed.
§ Miss Hornsby-SmithI regret that the information asked for in the first part of the Question is not available. The time patients have to wait for admission varies so widely according to the specialty concerned and as between acute emergencies and the least urgent cases that an average would be without significance.
—— 31st December, 1951 31st December, 1952 31st December 1953 (1) Number of beds designated under Section 5 of the National Health Service Act, 1946 6,286 6,229 6,153 (2) Percentage of total bed complement (excluding beds shut owing to lack of staff) 1.31 1.29 1.25 No later figures are available.