22
Dec 2016
Decline in hospital beds leading to patient deaths
According to a leading health statistician, the NHS is being put under increasing pressure by a fall in the number of hospital beds and this is contributing to the number of patient deaths.
Although the government’s recommended average occupancy level is 85 per cent, this investigation has revealed that in England, hospital occupancy levels have risen to nearly 90 per cent and have not gone below the recommended level since 2002.
The number of beds has reduced by more than 50 per cent in the last thirty years. In 1988, there were 297,364 NHS hospital beds in England and there are currently 130,404 beds. The burden is further impacted as patient numbers have increased in the last three decades, with admissions nearly doubling to over 16 million.
Sir Brian Jarman, who conducted the research, said that although doctor shortages had had an impact on hospital death rates, the fall in bed availability was becoming more prominent.
He said “The factor that is most important in being most strongly associated with the variation of the death rates in hospitals in England, is that the more doctors per bed – that’s either junior doctors, senior doctors or total doctors per bed – is associated with a lower adjusted death rate in hospital.”
Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence compensation claims, and have obtained substantial compensation for our clients. Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.
If you believe that you or a relative may have been injured as a result of clinical/medical negligence, please call for free legal advice from our medical negligence solicitors on the freephone number below.
Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
Freephone : 0800 028 2969
- Like this ? Share with friends