If he will make a statement on the national service framework for older people. [156292]

The Government are determined to improve the quality and range of NHS and social care services for older people. The national service framework, which was published last month, will ensure fair, high-quality, integrated health and social care services for older people. It sets new standards to help root out age discrimination and drive up the quality of care. Implementation of the new standards will be carefully monitored.

May I welcome the framework and ask the Minister how, and over what time scale, he envisages the removal of age discrimination from the NHS? How would the framework apply to my constituent, a 71-year-old lady who is marooned in Kingston hospital after a serious stroke? She cannot be moved because the nearest and most appropriate stroke rehabilitation unit, the Wolfson unit, operates a strict age bar and admits no one who is over 65.

I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman's support for the objective that we aim to achieve through the national service framework. I have been advised that the Wolfson unit does not set age-based criteria for admission as he suggests. I understand that it recently treated a 92-year-old in similar circumstances to his constituent. We have clearly set out in the national service framework that we want all age-based eligibility rules to be reviewed by October this year and the necessary action taken as soon as possible after that.

The hon. Gentleman is a man of good will, and he will understand that it will take time to put right the years of neglect and indifference that we inherited from the previous Administration. We are determined to do that. Older people are the largest users of NHS services and often the biggest supporters of the NHS. It is time for the Government and Parliament to pay proper attention to their needs in the NHS.

I thank my hon. Friend for taking such action. It is long overdue and it will make a genuine difference to older people, especially those who suffer strokes and from osteoporosis. Will he work closely with modernisation action in the NHS to ensure that there will be money to enable us to take advantage of the framework and implement it properly where need is greatest?

I certainly agree with my hon. Friend that we have a big task ahead of us in converting the aspirations of the national service framework into tangible improvements on the ground and in the front line. The national service framework has made some important declarations about improvements in stroke care services. They have been strongly welcomed by the Stroke Association, which has worked closely with us to develop the framework. It is a big job and we intend to work closely with all the key partners who have helped us to develop the standards and, of course, with the NHS and social services.

Does the Minister agree that the national service framework will be little more than fine-sounding words if we continue to lose intermediate care beds at the current rate? Why have we lost 50,000 such beds in the care home sector in the past 12 months? What will he do about it?

The hon. Gentleman is wrong; 50,000 beds have not been lost in the care home sector. Between 7,000 and 8,000 beds have been lost in that sector over the period that he mentioned. [Interruption.] Those are the figures. It is clear to Labour Members that Conservative Members hate being confronted with the truth about issues. However, we intend to deal with them. The number of intermediate care beds in the NHS is set to increase, and it is very important that it does so.

The hon. Gentleman will also want to reflect on the fact that an important part of the extra investment in intermediate care services will be local government investment through social services. I know that he does not like this, but let me remind him that his lectures on the subject are utterly bogus unless and until his hon. Friends can agree to match our spending on social services. They have been given numerous opportunities to do that, but they have never to this date said that they will match our spending