A leading think tank is recommending the NHS cut more than 30,000 hospital beds to save cash and improve patient care.

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.

The centre-right think-tank also called on the Government and opposition parties to stop interfering in local decision-making about NHS ward closures.

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.

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.

These conditions can be mostly managed in the community, which cuts cost and moves care away from hospitals, it said.

The report also highlights the number of beds being taken up by elderly patients who could be living elsewhere, the so-called 'bed blockers'.