§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he proposes to take to reduce the average daily number of hospital beds which are empty from the present figure of 72,370, which represents 17.08 per cent. of the hospital beds in the National Health Service.
§ Mr. AlisonHospital authorities continued to seek to increase the number of patients treatesd per bed and in the 10 years to 1970, 25 per cent. more patients were treated in a reduced number of beds. As intensity in the use of resources increases, the total unoccupied-bed time between patients also tends to increase and this is reflected in the average bed occupancy416W figures. There are practical limits to the average occupancy rates achievable in particular specialties.