§ Mr. Moneyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is satisfied with the arrangements for the provision of geriatric beds for hospitals in the Ipswich area over the ensuing five years.
§ Mr. AlisonAt present there are 551 geriatric beds representing about 12½ beds for every 1,000 elderly people in the Ipswich area, which compares with the recommended national target of 10 per 1,000. The East Anglian Regional Hospital Board recognises, however, that too few of these beds are in a district general hospital and it plans to increase this number from 70 to 240 as soon as resources permit. The board hopes in the56W near future to provide a small number of geriatric beds for the elderly population of Felixstowe.