HC Deb 19 June 1985 vol 81 cc147-8W
Rev. Martin Smyth

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hospital beds and qualified nurses there are in Northern Ireland per head of population.

Mr. Chris Patten

[pursuant to his reply, 17 June 1985, c. 39]: In 1983, the last year for which figures are available, the information in respect of hospital beds was as follows:

Number Number per 1,000 of the population
General Hospitals 10,965 7.0
Mental Illness Hospitals 4,513 2.9
Mental Handicap Hospitals 1,501 1.0
All Hospitals 16,979 10.8

In the same year, the information in respect of qualified nurses was as follows:

Number Number per 1,000 of the population
Hospital Nurses 12,419 7.9
Community Nurses 1,927 1.2
14,346 9.1