Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to increase (i) the general bed base and (ii) the acute bed base in the NHS in England ahead of winter 2026-27.

Ahead of winter 2026/27, the National Health Service is working with local systems to maximise bed capacity, improve discharge and bed utilisation, and strengthen alternatives to hospital admission. In October 2026, the Government announced almost £140 million to be invested in 14 urgent care schemes across England, including urgent treatment centres and same day emergency care centre services. These measures aim to make the best use of available capacity and ensure patients receive the right care in the right setting.