Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his contribution of 13 October 2014, Official Report, column 30, on bed capacity for dealing with potential Ebola patients, how many additional beds will be made available; and at which hospitals they will be made available.

The National Health Service has two ‘Trexler’ beds on stand-by 24 hours a day at the Royal Free Hospital in London, available for use within six hours maximum to allow staff to be mobilised. If needed further beds at the Royal Free Hospital, Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital and Sheffield Teaching Hospital would be made available, totalling 12 beds.

The Department believes this will be sufficient even in the event of an increase in the numbers of cases of Ebola in this country. If there is a significant upscale in numbers further beds could be made available. This would amount to at least 26 beds referenced in the Secretary of State for Health’s statement on 13 October, Official Report, Column 30.