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More NHS Cash but 2,500 Fewer Hospital Beds

Posted on: Sunday, 2 October 2005, 18:00 CDT

By JENNY HOPE

ALMOST 2,500 hospital beds were closed last year despite the extra billions being spent on the Health Service, it emerged yesterday.

The fall brings the total reduction in the number of hospital beds in the NHS to around 12,000 six per cent of capacity since Labour came to power in 1997.

Opposition politicians claimed that cash promised by the Government to the NHS is not reaching frontline services.

According to Department of Health figures, there were 193,625 beds in general, acute and geriatric wards in 1997-1998.

Bed numbers have ranged between 186,000 and 184,000 since 2000.

However, last year this number fell from 184,207 to 181,772 the biggest drop since 1999-2000.

The latest figures show average bed occupancy rates have fallen slightly in the past year from 86.9 per cent to 85.9 per cent. But the Government continues to miss its own target, which aimed to reduce the figure to 82 per cent by 2003-2004.

Cutting bed occupancy is considered desirable because experts blame hospital overcrowding for helping to fuel the rise of superbugs, including MRSA.

The figures also show the number of patients on waiting lists in England at the end of August was 805,100, a fall of 8,600 since the end of July.

In recent weeks it has been disclosed that cash-strapped trusts are closing beds and wards to save money despite spending on the NHS soaring from Pounds 33billion when Labour came to power, to Pounds 67billion this year.

But a report last week showed that half the extra money pumped into the NHS last year went on pay rises and staff costs. Tory health spokesman Andrew Lansley said: 'Labour's spending spree is not reaching the front line.

'Beds are being cut, but demand is not reducing and there are rising admissions to accident and emergency departments.

'It's high time the extra money resulted in more beds and frontline care, and not targets or bureaucracy.' Health Minister Liam Byrne said: 'Bed numbers have shown a slight decrease but bed occupancy levels have improved, showing no increased pressure on bed numbers, and waiting lists are at record low.' He added that hospital trusts were designing services to meet local needs and there would probably be more bed reductions in the future.

THE brother of guitar legend Bert Weedon died after being forced to wait 17 hours for a proper hospital bed.

Maurice Weedon, 89, was dumped in a wheelchair for five hours and then put on a trolley for 12 hours when he arrived at Oldchurch Hospital, Romford, with a fractured hip, his son Tony said.

In that time a bedpan spilled on his father's mattress but was not cleaned up for four hours, he added. After 17 hours the seriously ill pensioner from Essex, was found a bed, but he died three days later.

Mr Weedon's son said:'My father was treated shamefully.The whole sad episode was despicable.' A spokesman for Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust said it was investigating.

Source: Daily Mail; London (UK)

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