§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department is taking in respect of bed losses in hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [40800]
§ Mr. SackvilleThe number of beds needed by each individual hospital cannot be determined centrally. Decisions about bed stocks need to be made at local level, based on contracted work loads and taking account of local circumstances, such as the local rate for emergency admissions, the level of day case treatments and the availability of alternative services, such as hospital at home schemes.
§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the prevalence of under-bedding in the NHS(a) by category of hospital and (b) by region. [40801]
§ Mr. SackvilleNational health service trusts regularly review the availability of beds to ensure they are matched to demand and to secure the best use of available resources.