Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department are taking to improve the availability of hospital beds in Epping Forest and neighbouring constituencies.

Across the country, the Department and NHS England, working with local delivery partners including integrated care boards and National Health Service trusts, are working to ensure hospital beds remain available for those who need them most, whilst expanding access to integrated, community-based care and reducing avoidable hospital stays. This includes investment in same day emergency care and urgent treatment centres, to ensure patients are seen where it is most appropriate and avoid unnecessary admission.