§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, what has been the number of beds available to (i) NHS patients and (ii) private patients in(a) Guy's 641W hospital, (b) King's College hospital, (c) St. Thomas's hospital, (d) the Lewisham and North Southwark health authority, (e) the Camberwell health authority and (f) the West Lambeth health authority at the beginning of each financial year since 1979.
§ Mr. Dorrell[holding answer 2 May 1991]: The information that is available centrally is given in the tables. The number of NHS beds is not a reliable indicator of patient activity. Activity in the three district health authorities listed in the tables increased during the period as follows:
NHS available beds (average over the year) 1979 to 1986 calendar year, 1987–88 to 1989–90 financial year 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 West Lambeth HA 2,274 2,239 2,248 2,100 2,119 2,066 1,993 1,887 1,715 1,537 1,539 St. Thomas's 956 971 990 880 929 876 854 842 819 744 861 Camberwell HA 1,432 1,366 1,332 1,289 1,279 1,232 1,264 1,232 1,242 1,147 1,108 Kings College Hospital 603 603 586 602 590 606 609 599 602 541 538 Lewisham and North Southwark HA 2,336 2,257 2,208 2,185 2,194 2,058 2,048 1,910 1,718 1,657 1,583 Guy's Hospital 851 886 885 852 853 779 749 740 795 790 825 Source: 1979–86 Form SH3
1987–88 Form SH3A
1989–90 Form KP70
Number of authorised paybeds at beginning of each financial year since 1979 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 West Lambeth health authority2 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 138 138 138 138 St. Thomas3 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 138 138 138 138 Camberwell health authority 41 41 41 41 41 45 45 45 145 141 141 King's College Hospital4 40 40 40 40 40 38 38 38 38 38 38 Lewisham and North Southwark health authority2 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 Guy's Hospital 64 64 64 64 64 64 64 64 64 64 64 Notes on table for authorised paybeds: 1 Estimated figure—information held relates to the number of bed days. 2 Within Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham area health authority between 1979 and 1981. 3 Figures for 1979 and 1985 are based on the district group authorisation given. 4 Figures from 1984 are estimates based on the district authorisation given.