David Ruffley MP has today released new House of Commons figures obtained during his questioning of Andy Burnham, Minister of State at the Department of Health, which reveal that there are fewer acute hospital beds per 100,000 of the population in the East of England than there were four years ago.

In 2002/03 there were, on average, 213.65 available acute beds per 100,000 of the population in the former Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Strategic Health Authority (SHA) area. In 2005/06, the latest year for which figures are available, this figure had fallen to 198.28.

In the East of England Strategic Health Authority area the number of available acute beds per 100,000 of the population has fallen from 168.25 in 2002/03 to 163.40 in 2005/06.

David said:

'The NHS in our region is in chaos, despite this Government telling us that more money than ever is going into our health service we now have fewer available acute hospital beds per 100,000 of the population than we did four years ago.

'These new House of Commons figures show the true nature of the challenges that face our hardworking nurses, doctors and support staff on a daily basis.

'The question that must be asked is where is this money going? It certainly isn't reaching the frontline and it is the patients and staff who suffer.

'The SHA, which itself costs millions of pounds to run, should be scrapped and the money redirected to those who need it most- the professionals and patients.

'This ineffective Quango has failed in its remit, failed the NHS and, worst of all, failed the people of the East of England.'