Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the current capacity is of hospitals in England to treat covid-19 patients; and if he will set out the evidence which shows that hospitals would run out of that capacity by the end of November 2020 on present trends of the spread of covid-19.

The publication of weekly bed availability, including critical care beds, and occupancy for winter 2020/21 has recently been started and the data can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/uec-sitrep/

An assessment of projected increases in COVID-19 cases and National Health Service bed availability was set out ahead of new national measures introduced from 5 November. This information can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/slides-to-accompany-coronavirus-press-conference-31-october-2020