<p> <br /> A leading think tank is recommending the NHS cut more than 30,000 hospital beds to save cash and improve patient care.<br /> </p><br /> <p> <br /> Reform says regions including London, the North East and the North West should expect to close over a quarter of their beds, with the move saving cash and creating competition which would drive up standards.<br /> </p><br /> <p> <br /> The centre-right think-tank also called on the Government and opposition parties to stop interfering in local decision-making about NHS ward closures.<br /> </p><br /> <p> <br /> Its study, 'Fewer hospitals, more competition', says the NHS has been right to reduce hospital beds by nearly a half since 1987, from 270,000 to 160,000 in England.<br /> </p><br /> <p> <br /> Reform said the latest challenges in health care, helping people manage long-term conditions such as diabetes and improving the quality of life for survivors of disease, are less reliant on hospitals.<br /> </p><br /> <p> <br /> These conditions can be mostly managed in the community, which cuts cost and moves care away from hospitals, it said.<br /> </p><br /> <p> <br /> The report also highlights the number of beds being taken up by elderly patients who could be living elsewhere, the so-called 'bed blockers'.<br /> </p>
