§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes have taken place in the arrangements for utilising intensive care beds across Scotland since March 1995 with reference to procedure for the admission of patients to intensive care units. [6482]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonHealth boards in Scotland monitor closely the availability of intensive care and high dependency facilities for their residents and make any changes to the arrangements necessary. It is important for anyone who requires emergency access to an intensive care bed to be admitted as quickly and straightforwardly as possible. The NHS in Scotland will continue to build on the valuable information being collected already by the staff working in intensive care facilities in Scotland and to develop better means of sharing that information.