NHS has lost almost 25,000 beds across the UK in in last decade, according to a damning report that says fall led to a sharp rise in waiting times for A&E, ambulances and surgeries.
King’s College of Emergency medicine announced a huge loss of beds since 2010-11 caused “real patient harm” and “serious patient safety crisis”. At least 13,000 more beds urgently needed added, in to cope with “unsafe” bed occupancy levels and “gloomy” waiting times for emergency care and transmission delays outside hospitals.
Patients increasingly ‘frustrated’ by long wait times, college said, as are NHS staff who face mounting levels of burnout, exhaustion and morale injury. UK has second smallest number of beds per 1000 people people in Europe at 2.42 and lost third in terms of number of beds per 1000 people population between 2000 and 2021 (40.7%), the report says.
There is currently 162,000 beds in NHS across the UK, according to the college.
“The situation is dire and requires decisive action,” said Dr. Adrian Boyle, vice president of the college. “Since 2010-2011, the NHS has lost 25,000 beds across the UK. result Bed occupancy increased, ambulance times get up, A&E is waiting times increased, canceled planned care surgeries increased.
“These numbers are grim,” Boyle. added. “They are should shock all medical and political leaders. These numbers translate to real patient harm and serious patient safety a crisis. The health service is not working, because. should and UK government should take steps to prevent further deterioration in performance as well as drive meaningful improvement especially ahead of next winter.”
The college report states that there are 13,000 staffed beds. required in NHS across the UK to create “significant change and improvement”, which includes “significant” improvement in Ambulance waiting times ambulance call times, delays in the transfer of ambulances and a return to safe bed occupancy levels. It is recommended to open at least 4500 of these before winter.
The NHS Confederation has stated that the fully funded long-term plan for health and social care workforce was needed as well as immediate investment more cash in social take care to do sure patients are medically healthy for discharge can be taken care of for in in community.
Rory Dayton, spicy lead in the NHS Confederation, said: “This report lays bare the scope of in challenge National Health Service facing in terms of power and labor force. NHS leaders see first-manual ability in emergency and emergency services and ambulances just can’t handle with level of the pressure we see in whole system”.
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Andrew Goddard, President of King’s College of Doctors said: “Even before the pandemic, hospital beds were scarce, but Covid-19 has created its own additional demand for beds, requiring about 3,000 beds for nearly year currently.
“We also desperately need extra beds in social care. Hospitals will remain without them full, with knock-on effects in emergency departments and on ambulances. fact it’s just not possible have more completed beds without increasing the number of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals available take care for patients who need them.
Pat Cullen, Executive Director of King’s College of Nursing, according to a report on “health service on knees”, adding: “Hospitals full to the break with Patients in indecent locations all too often.”
