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NHS Beds Costing Millions While Patients Wait
1 Nov
Summary
- £21.5m annual cost for medically fit patients occupying beds.
- 68 adult patients, 18% of acute beds, were non-clinically necessary.
- Lack of external care placements is a significant contributing factor.
An NHS trust is facing an annual financial drain of about £21.5 million because medically fit patients are occupying hospital beds. In late August, Tees, Esk and Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) reported 68 adult patients were using bed spaces without clinical necessity, accounting for approximately 18% of its acute bed capacity.
This situation, a significant performance, quality, and financial risk for TEWV, is attributed to delays in moving patients to external care placements. The problem of prolonged bed occupancy is a nationwide issue exacerbated by a scarcity of care home spaces.
TEWV is actively seeking solutions by improving community services and is developing plans for a new crisis assessment centre in Durham. This initiative aims to divert demand from its acute wards and mitigate the substantial costs associated with unnecessary bed occupation, which averages £562 per day per bed.
