The Conservatives today seized on the loss of 6,000 hospital beds over the past 12 months as proof that the NHS financial crisis is hitting patient care.

Figures published today reveal a dramatic loss of NHS beds over the past year, as the government seeks to "reconfigure" services away from overnight hospital stays.

In total, 6,146 NHS beds have gone in the past year, the highest annual loss since Labour came to power nine years ago. Half of the losses (3,100) were of general and acute beds.

The government has a commitment to keep patients out of costly hospital overnight stays by providing more daycare treatment and more out-of-hospital alternatives.

But the Conservative party placed the blame for the bed losses squarely on NHS deficits.

The shadow health secretary, Andrew Lansley, today drew on parliamentary answers to highlight the fact that bed reduction was not being matched by a commensurate increase in the number of daycase-only beds, which have inched up just 6% over the past year.

The proportion of procedures performed as day cases in the NHS has remained at 50% for three consecutive years, and has seen no significant increase since 1998-99, Mr Lansley added.

"After a feast of expenditure in the hospital sector the government is now imposing a famine, with damaging consequences for frontline services and patient safety," he said.

"The scale of these cuts has not been matched by anything like the increase in day case surgery required, or greater provision in the community. These are aggressive reductions, induced by the government's financial mismanagement."

The NHS Confederation, the umbrella body representing over 90% of NHS organisations, disputed claims that the NHS deficits were to blame for the bed losses, but admitted that more needed to be done to ensure alternative services were in place for patients.

Nigel Edwards, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said the number of hospital beds had been declining since the late 1950s in light of changing technology and treatment options.

"High bed numbers do not necessarily mean better patient care. We should judge the NHS on how many people we make better and keep well," he said.

"The Conservatives are quite right to point out that if we are going to continue to see this downward trend in the number of NHS beds, this must be done safely and with adequate provision of health services in the community.

"The NHS is doing more than ever before while the number of beds is reducing. What we need now is a well-informed debate which is based on evidence of what is best for patients."

Department of Health figures revealed today show the government has almost met its target of reducing bed occupancy rates to 82%.

Experts say occupancy levels should be kept down to help keep a grip on infections, such as MRSA.

Two years later than hoped, the average number of beds used each day by NHS patients is nominally above, at 84.6%.