§ 31. Mr. Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the future of small acute general hospitals in remote rural areas. [151980]
§ Mr. DenhamThe National Beds Inquiry (NBI) was set up to review long-term assumptions about the volume of general and acute health services and their implications for the whole system of care. It focused on the needs of older people and considered the scope for alternative models of care. The consultation on the NBI report demonstrated overwhelming support for "care closer to home" and the development of intermediate care services. The NHS Plan set a target of 5,000 extra intermediate care beds by 2004, some of which will be in community hospitals. In the light of the NBI report and consultation and the NHS Plan, clear policy guidance was published on 15 February. This provides tools to help health authorities to benchmark their performance against comparable authorities and to assess future requirements for beds and services to meet the needs of local people in all areas, and requires them to develop action plans as part of a wider review of services to be undertaken in the summer. The guidance (HSC 2001/03:LAC (2001)4 "Implementing the NHS Plan: Developing services following the National Beds Inquiry") is in the Library.