To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many care home beds were (a) available and (b) in use in (i) Bury St. Edmunds. (ii) Suffolk, (iii) Essex, (iv) Cambridgeshire and (v) Norfolk in the last quarter for which figures are available; and how many were available in the preceding eight quarters. [120413]
The latest available information on the number of care home places in Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk at 31 March each year is shown in the table. Information is centrally collected annually, not on a quarterly basis. The number of care home places in Bury St. Edmunds is not centrally available, however the figures for Suffolk include care home places in Bury St. Edmunds.Information on the number of care home places in use is not centrally available.
| Care home places in Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk 1999–2001 | |||
| Total number of care home places1 | |||
| As at 31 March | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
| Suffolk area2,3 | 6,580 | 6,540 | 6,600 |
| Essex area4 | 14,730 | 14,200 | 14,230 |
| Cambridgeshire area5 | 4,460 | 5,580 | 5,620 |
| Norfolk area6 | 9,680 | 10,350 | 10,440 |
| 1 Total includes places in residential LA staffed, independent and dual registered homes, and beds in general and mental nursing homes, private hospitals and clinics. | |||
| 2 Care home places in nursing homes in Suffolk health authority and residential homes in Suffolk shire county. | |||
| 3 Includes care home places in Bury St. Edmunds. | |||
| 4 Care home places in nursing homes in North and South Essex health authorities and residential homes in Essex shire county and Southend and Thurrock unitary authorities. | |||
| 5 Care home places in nursing homes in Cambridge health authority and residential homes in Cambridgeshire shire county and Peterborough unitary authority. | |||
| 6 Care home places in nursing homes in Norfolk health authority and residential homes in Norfolk shire county. | |||
Source:
RA Form A and RH(N) forms, Department of Health.