LOSS OF BEDS A REAL WORRY

2.13.26pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 8th Nov 2006

Jenny Randerson AM, Health Spokesperson for the Welsh Liberal Democrats discovered today[1] that the NHS is losing beds across a range of vital services and that occupancy rates of the beds that are there are at breaking point.

Commenting Jenny Randerson said "The total number of NHS beds including mental health, learning disability, maternity and geriatric beds, fell by 206 between 04-05 and 05-06 without a corresponding increase in community services. I suspect this may be the tip of the iceberg.

"The 82.9% bed occupancy figure masks figures in certain sectors of upwards of 90% which puts unbearable pressure on the NHS.

"The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing; we are taking away beds and not providing an alternative. The average duration of stay is increasing due to delayed transfers of care so when you combine this with fewer beds it stores up all kind of problems which have knock on effects on A and E and ambulance response times."

Ends/diwedd