§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pay beds there are within each individual NHS hospital; who makes the decision about the number of pay beds in each hospital; and if he will make a statement. [120055]
§ Mr. HuttonThe Department does not collect information on the number of beds in national health service hospitals used wholly or partly for the treatment of private patients. Information on the number of beds in dedicated private patient units in NHS hospitals is collated by Laing and Buisson Ltd. and published in Laing's Healthcare Market Review 2002–03. It is for the NHS trust responsible for the management of each hospital to decide the extent to which private patient services are provided in that hospital, but the national health service and Community Care Act 1990 provides that trusts may not offer private patient services if they would to any significant extent interfere with the performance by the trust of its NHS obligations.