§ Mr. Hordernasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the hospitals which have been completed, or near completion, which have not yet been brought into operation because of revenue costs; and how many beds are affected.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[pursuant to the reply, 25 January 1982, c. 277.]: The information requested has now been obtained from regional health authorities and is as follows:
- University hospital, Nottingham, Phas II: 694 out of a total of 1,000 beds available for occupation since October 1981.
- Ealing district general hospital: eight out of a total of 406 beds available for occupation since February 1979.
- Derriford district general hospital, Plymouth: 30 out of a total of 347 beds available for occupation since October 1980.
- Kettering hospital: 34 out of a total of 311 beds available for occupation since January 1979.
- St. George's hospital, Tooting: 10 out of 273 beds available for occupation since January 1980.
- Witney hospital, Oxfordshire: 43 out of a total of 78 beds available for occupation since April 1979.
- Walsgrave general hospital, Coventry: out of a total of 96 upgraded beds, 22 available since October 1977 and 16 since March 1980.
- Chase Farm hospital, Enfield: 84 out of a total of 196 beds available for occupation since February 1979.
This is a very unsatisfactory situation, but it is steadily improving. There are 632 fewer beds affected than were affected 12 months ago and in two developments—at St. 97W Peter's hospital, Chertsey, and Guildford hospital—all the beds vacant at this time last year have now been opened so that they no longer appear in the list.