"Hospitals in England face dangerous overcrowding this winter because even more patients than last year are stranded in a bed, according to an analysis of NHS figures. The findings come as the health service struggles to cope with the early onset of its usual winter crisis driven by a crippling flu-nami and the NHS in England is bracing itself for a five-day strike by resident doctors starting on Wednesday."
"Hospitals will have fewer beds available this winter than usual because delayed discharges beds occupied by people who are medically fit to leave, but have nowhere to go have been even worse in the run-up to the cold season that they were last year, research by the Health Foundation has found. Senior doctors and NHS leaders said the lack of beds identified by the thinktank would make an already truly shocking situation this winter harder still for hospitals."
Hospitals in England face dangerous overcrowding this winter because more patients are stranded in beds than last year. Delayed discharges—beds occupied by people who are medically fit to leave but have nowhere to go—have worsened in the run-up to winter, reducing available bed capacity. The Health Foundation found delayed-discharge bed days rose from 10.1% to 11%, an increase of 9% (19,000 bed days), driven by an 8% rise in discharges (about 3,800 patients a month). Overall delayed-discharge occupancy hit 14% last winter and is likely higher now. NHS leaders warn of ambulance queues, long waits, corridor care, greater flu spread, and increased mortality risk.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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