NHS 'short of beds' ahead of anticipated swine flu wave
8 September 2009 00:00 in Medical Government/ NHS related news
The NHS does not have enough beds to deal with an expected second wave of swine flu outbreaks, it has been asserted.
According to the Conservative Party, figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that almost 2,000 individuals had to be discharged from intensive care early last year due to bed shortages.
The statistics also showed that on average, hospitals had all their intensive care beds full for almost a third of 2008.
Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said that the NHS is "ill prepared" for an autumn outbreak of the H1N1 virus, with hospitals already at "breaking point".
This news comes after Tory MEP Daniel Hannan told a US TV show last month that the NHS is a "60-year mistake" that he "wouldn't wish on anyone".
Party leader David Cameron later dismissed Mr Hannan's comments as "eccentric" and reiterated the importance of the service in the UK.
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