§ Mr. ReedTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to increase the number of hospital beds in Leicestershire. [149981]
§ Yvette CooperThe NHS plan provides for a total of 7,000 extra beds nationally by 2004, including 2,100 on general and acute wards—the first increase of its kind for 30 years—and around 5,000 extra intermediate care beds. Within this expanded bedstock, there will also be a 30 per cent. increase in adult critical care beds over the next three years.
In 2000, Leicestershire health and social care community received an additional £2.7 million, specifically to help ease winter pressures. As a direct result, Leicestershire now has an additional 21 general and acute beds, 21 more intermediate care beds and four extra critical care beds compared with this time last year.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced in the House on 15 February that Leicestershire's strategic outline case for the reconfiguration of its acute services had been given the go-ahead. This £286 million capital scheme will provide a further 320 beds in Leicestershire by 2009, making a total of 2,545. This figure is in line with recommendations in the national beds inquiry.