§ Lord Hollickasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their latest assessment of the number of continuing care beds required to meet the current level of demand from patients; and what is the present number of continuing care beds provided by the National Health Service.
§ Baroness CumberlegeInformation collected centrally on the number of beds does not include the classification "continuing care". Information on National Health Service beds is included in the following publications, copies of which are available in the Library.
Bed Availability for England (financial year 1992— 93): information is collected by ward type;
Health and Personal Social Services Statistics for Wales: information is published annually on the number of beds by specialty;
Scottish Health Statistics—1993: Table 6C2 provides information at a specialty level for 1992–93;
Hospital Statistics—Northern Ireland: information is published annually on the number of beds by specialty.
It is the responsibility of heath authorities to contract for an appropriate range of services to meet the needs of their local populations. With the introduction of the new community care arrangements individual health authorities, should consult with local social services departments to determine the precise type and range of services to be purchased, taking account of local circumstances, resources, needs and clinical practice.