asked the Minister for Health the number of acute hospital beds per one thousand population for each of the health board regions for each of the last three years.
Written Answers. - Hospital Beds.
239.
The information sought by the Deputy in so far as it is available is given in the table below.
|
Number of acute consultant-staffed hospital beds per thousand population * |
|||
|
31/12/86 |
31/12/87 |
30/9/88** |
|
|
Eastern |
5.2 |
4.2 |
3.8 |
|
Midland |
2.3 |
2.1 |
2.0 |
|
Mid-Western |
3.4 |
2.6 |
2.5 |
|
North-Eastern |
3.2 |
3.1 |
3.2 |
|
North-Western |
2.4 |
2.5 |
2.4 |
|
South-Eastern |
3.1 |
2.6 |
2.5 |
|
Southern |
4.4 |
3.3 |
3.1 |
|
Western |
4.2 |
3.8 |
3.5 |
|
Total |
4.1 |
3.4 |
3.2 |
* Some of the variations between health boards in these figures are explained by the provision of national specialities in some health board areas only and by patients from some areas receiving services in other areas.
** Latest date for which full returns are available.