Hospital Beds/Food

Health written question – answered at on 26 May 2005.

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Photo of John Hemming John Hemming Liberal Democrat, Birmingham, Yardley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated change in numbers of hospital beds is between 2005 and 2010, broken down by strategic health authority.

Photo of Liam Byrne Liam Byrne Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health) (Care Services)

The Department does not estimate changes in hospital bed numbers. The latest capacity planning exercise, conducted in 2004, was designed to ensure there was sufficient activity in place to deliver the 2006–07 to 2007–08 public service agreements targets. The Departmental focus was on the levels of elective, non-elective and diagnostics activity planned by strategic health authorities rather than bed numbers.

Determination of the number of hospital beds required to deliver planned levels of activity set out in local delivery plans is the responsibility of the national health service locally.

Does this answer the above question?

Yes1 person thinks so

No4 people think not

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Annotations

John Hemming MP
Posted on 5 Jun 2005 8:25 am (Report this annotation)

The point about this is that in the BBCSHA (Birmingham and Black Country Strategic Health Authority) area they are planning reductions of 1,405 beds (20%) over the next 5 years. This is part of a movement from secondary to primary health care. The big question is

"will it work"

More details on my blog
http://johnhemming.blogspot.com

I think this is built into the assumptions behind Gershon, but have no evidence to justify that claim.