§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis of usage, survey or projection he has instructed or advised district health authorities of the number of beds per unit or population; and what adjustments in those levels are made for observed and recorded variations in needs for acute health care. [1796]
§ Mr. SackvilleWe have not issued any central guidance. It is for individual health authorities and trusts to determine local bed requirements in accordance with local needs and circumstances.
§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what was for each NHS trust and for England as a whole for the last available two years the frequency of closure of admittance to emergency hospital beds, expressing the number of occasions of such closure as a proportion of the total number of hospital beds and indicating the percentage increase or decrease in each case. [639]
§ Mr. SackvilleThis information is not available centrally. Information on the average daily number of available beds for each NHS trust for the years 1993–94 and 1994–95 is published in "Bed availability for England", copies of which are available in the Library.
§ Mr. MilburnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department maintains on the number of(a) rehabilitation, (b) convalescent, (c) respite and (d) continuing care beds available in the NHS and the private sector. [2779]
§ Mr. BowisInformation collected from the national health service is published in "Bed Availability for England," copies of which are available in the Library. Data are collected by broad ward classification rather than by clinical specialty and returns are made on a financial year basis. Information from the independent sector does not identify the purpose for which beds are provided.