To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the hospitals, by region, which have consulted the local community health council on service reconfiguration in the last 10 years; how many beds have been (i) gained and (ii) lost under these reconfigurations; and if he will list by region those hospitals that are currently (i) under review and (ii) undergoing service reconfiguration. [74991]

[holding answer 5 March 1999]: Information on the hospitals which have consulted the local health council on service reconfiguration in the last 10 years is not available centrally.Data on the number of available staffed hospital beds in each Health Board in Scotland for 1987–88 and 1997–98 are shown in the table. The reduction in the number of staffed beds between 1987–88 and 1997–98 reflects changes in the pattern of care, including a shift toward the use of day case surgery, continuing reductions in lengths of stay for inpatients and the move to care in the community.Health Service strategies are kept under review as part of the Health Improvement Programme process introduced in 1998. Every Health Board must set out its intentions annually for service developments in its area for the following five years. Where the planned development represents a significant change of use of a hospital or contains proposals for hospital closure, there must be full public consultation in accordance with The Scottish Office Department of Health guidance.