§ Mr. Nicholas Edwardsasked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing how the reduction of 2,000 in the number of hospital beds in Wales between 1965 and 1975 has been distributed by area health authorities; and why the reduction took place.
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§ Mr. John MorrisThe net reduction in the number of allocated staffed beds in Wales from June 1965 to June 1975 is 2,540. Totals for each area health authority are shown in the table below.
There have been many changes in the pattern of services over the decade, including more intensive usage, but the major factor has been the substantial reduction in the numbers of beds in the large old hospitals for mental illness and the mentally handicapped, reflecting the policy of community care and new developments in treatment techniques.
Area Health Authority Staffed beds allocated at 30th June Difference 1965 1975 1965–75 Clwyd 3,898 3,216 —682 Dyfed 2,698 2,646 —52 Gwent 4,473 4,175 —298 Gwynedd 1,498 1,611 + 113 Mid-Glamorgan 5,941 5,263 —678 Powys 1,562 1,320 —242 South Glamorgan 4,264 3,864 —400 West Glamorgan 2,992 2,691 —301 27,326 24,786 —2,540