§ Mrs. RoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he takes to monitor, the number of beds available in the private sector for continuing care; if health authorities publish lists of the number of such beds available; and how many of such beds there were at the beginning and end of the latest 12-month period for which figures are available. [144821]
§ Mr. HuttonInformation on continuing care beds is not held centrally.
The Department collects information annually on independent private and voluntary sector nursing care homes registered under Section 23 of the Registered Homes Act 1984. Details are collected from the health authorities on the number of general nursing homes, mental nursing homes and private hospitals and clinics and the registered beds within these homes.
National statistics on the number of registered beds in independent sector nursing homes as at 31 March 2000 were published in the Statistical Bulletin "Community Care Statistics 2000: Residential Personal Social Services for adults, England" in November 2000. National statistics relating to 31 March 1999 were published in the Statistical Bulletin "Community Care Statistics 1999: Private Nursing Homes, Hospitals and Clinics". Copies of both publications are available in the Library.