Concerns regarding the ability of NHS hospitals to cope with increasing demand continue to focus on the issue of bed shortages.
A patient cannot be admitted to hospital if there are no beds available. Yet, at a time when people are living longer and requiring more care, and with the winter looming, recent reports have again highlighted the shortage of beds in NHS hospitals.
A new study highlighted by the British Medical Association has identified that hospital bed numbers have halved over the last thirty years, leaving the UK with one of the lowest population to bed ratios in Europe.
This is reflected in the fact, as reported in The Times, that bed occupancy in the UK is currently at over 90%, reducing the NHS’s capacity to respond to emergencies.
According to The Times, last year approximately 25,000 operations were cancelled due to a lack of hospital beds.
This growing crisis is being made worse by a reduction in the numbers of beds available in nursing homes, meaning that patients cannot be discharged from hospital as they have nowhere to go.
This comes at a time when future NHS plans aimed at reducing expenditure (Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships – previously discussed in this blog) are planning further bed cuts with closures of hospitals and wards.
Substandard Care
If you have been the victim of substandard medical care, you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation.
Contact Glynns Solicitors to discuss your experience with a specialist medical negligence solicitor.
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