Available bed space plunges

Published on Monday 2 March 2009 08:58

THE number of available hospital beds in the Lothians has dropped by nearly 1000 in the last decade.

Figures released this week show there are 3939 available staffed beds, compared to 4819 in 1999.

The fall in available beds mirrors the picture nationally, with health chiefs saying an increasing number of people being cared for in the community is the reason for the fall.

The document, released by the Scottish Government, also shows that, on average, around 86 per cent of hospital beds are occupied, up from 81 per cent a decade ago.