§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staffed inpatient beds there were in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997. [160496]
§ Angela SmithInformation on the average number of available inpatient beds is shown in the following table. Average available beds are defined as the average number of beds available during the year in wards that are open overnight, measured at midnight. Hospitals may also have a number of beds in wards, which are open only during the day. Beds reserved for day case admission or regular day admission are not included.
Average available beds in Northern Ireland 1997–2003 Northern Ireland Average 1997–98 9,005.8 1998–99 8,817.8 1999–2000 8,638.8 2000–01 8,571.0 2001–02 8,419.1 2002–03 8,301.3 Source
Aggregate Hospital Return KH03a.