HC Deb 27 November 1997 vol 301 cc653-4W
Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many psychiatric beds have closed in each year since 1980–81. [17386]

Mr. Boateng

The Department does not collect information on bed closures.

Data are, however, collected centrally on the average daily number of available beds. These figures are shown in the table:

Average daily number of available beds in mental illness wards in National Health Service hospitals in England, 1980 to 1996–97
Year Mental illness
1980 87,396
1981 85,436
1982 83,831
1983 81,786
1984 78.911
Average daily number of available beds in mental illness wards in National Health Service hospitals in England, 1980 to 1996–97
Year Mental illness
1985 75,866
1986 72,402
1987–88 67,127
1988–89 62,999
1989–90 59,290
1990–91 55,239
1991–92 50.278
1992–93 47,308
1993–94 43,532
1994–95 41,827
1995–9 39,477
1996–971 37,624
Source:
DH form SH3—1980 to 1986.
DH form KH03—1987–88 rds.
Note:
1 The return was revised and included a count of NHS managed beds in residential care. Several trusts reclassified beds previously counted as mental illness beds in hospitals, and counted them as residential. These figures are not included in the table. The average daily number of mental illness bed days in residential care is 1,155.

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