§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many accident and emergency departments have been closed in each health region in 1996 and in each of the previous five years. [40570]
§ Mr. HoramIt is the responsibility of each health authority to ensure the provision of adequate accident and emergency services for its resident population. Trusts with an accident and emergency department are listed in table 9 of "Bed availability for England". Booklets for 1993–94 and 1994–95 are available in the Library. The 1995–96 figures are expected to be available in November.
Care should be taken in interpreting any reduction in the number of trusts with accident and emergency departments as closures. A trust may have more than one A and E department but will be listed once only. Mergers of trusts each with an A and E department would be listed once following a merger.