Mr. RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about(a) the number of nursing home beds in Gloucestershire and (b) the demand for them. [136992]
§ Mr. HuttonOn 31 March 1999 there were 3,532 nursing care places in 126 nursing care homes in Gloucestershire. Information on the number of beds on 31 March 2000 will be published shortly in "Community Care Statistics: Residential Personal Social Services, England, 2000".
The demand for nursing home beds varies on a daily basis but is currently at high levels. Gloucestershire Social Services and local National Health Service bodies are working together to develop a whole systems approach to the commissioning of nursing home care.