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Warnings over increasing pressures on the NHS

As the NHS faces unprecedented pressures, concerns have been raised that hospital-acquired infections will rise and patient safety will be compromised.

On average, across the whole of last winter, around 95% of the almost 100,000 available beds in England were occupied, even with all the extra escalation beds pressed into service. The situation for 2017 looks even bleaker, according to a leading think tank. As the NHS faces unprecedented pressures, concerns have been raised that hospitalacquired infections will rise and patient safety will be compromised.

The Nuffield Trust has warned that pressure on NHS beds could compromise patient safety. The think tank found that the pressure was so acute that, on any given day last winter, the equivalent of more than five extra hospitals’ worth of beds had to be brought into service to cope with surges in demand.1 On the single busiest day last winter, an extra 4,390 beds had to be opened, equivalent to more than seven extra hospitals in one day. Furthermore, on average, over 95% of beds across English hospitals were occupied every day last winter – despite evidence that once bed occupancy rates exceed 85%-90%, there is an increasing risk of infection.2 Given that pressures on the health service have not lessened over the last 12 months, Trusts will face similarly high bed occupancy rates this year. 

The Winter Insight Briefing explains that high bed occupancy rates are a real problem for both patients and staff in the NHS:

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Upcoming Events

Central Sterilising Club - Annual Scientific Meeting 2024

Crowne Plaza at Gerrard’s Cross
15th April 2024 – 16th April 2024

DECON UK 2024

National Conference Centre, Birmingham
17th April 2024

Infection Prevention & Control

National Conference Centre, Birmingham
23rd - 24th April 2024

Theatres & Decontamination Conference 2024

Coventry Building Society Arena
16th May 2024

The AfPP Roadshow - Birmingham

Millennium Point, Birmingham
18th May 2024

The AfPP Roadshow - Exeter

University of Exeter
22nd June 2024

Access the latest issue of Clinical Services Journal on your mobile device together with an archive of back issues.

Download the FREE Clinical Services Journal app from your device's App store

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