Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many community hospital beds will be provided in each of the next five years in Somerset.

The number of community hospital beds operational varies over the course of the year in response to supply and demand. For example, fewer beds are needed during the summer.

The Government expects neighbourhood services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. While we will be clear on the outcomes that we expect, we will give significant licence to tailor the approach to local need, and while the focus on personalised, coordinated care will be consistent, the service will look different in rural communities, coastal towns, or deprived inner cities.

Through our National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP), we will work with places across all systems to spread and scale up good practice and learning, create exemplars, and build the culture and capability required for delivery. This will be an inclusive large-scale change programme for all system partners.