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Mr. Moyle
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many serious burns cases the National Health Service in England could handle in special burns units at any one time.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke
It is not possible to produce a precise figure. There is not always a clear distinction between beds used for treating burns and those for plastic surgery, and as the right hon. Member himself stated in a reply on 27 May 1977—[Vol. 932, c. 691–2]—burns may also be treated, according to their severity, in general wards or intensive therapy units. It is impossible to say how many or what kind of beds could be made available at any one time if the need arose.