NHS figures released today show that bed occupancy rates are exceeding optimal levels for the delivery of safe care, leading to more patients receiving ‘corridor care’.
The UK’s healthcare estates specialist, Darwin Group believes their new modular ward could be the solution to reducing the care of patients in clinically inappropriate places.
The launch comes as the latest NHS bed occupancy data shows that 127 trusts exceeded the optimal 85% bed occupancy rate at which trusts can deliver patient care most safely.
Hayley Smith Strategy and Transformation Director from Darwin Group said:
“Today’s hospital bed occupancy figures highlight the bed pressures facing NHS trusts across the country. Evidence clearly shows that hospitals work most safely and effectively at bed occupancy levels no higher than 85%.
“Today’s figures show that 127 trusts exceeded this over the last quarter with 103 of these trusts experiencing bed occupancy levels above 90% and 43 reaching over 95%.
“High bed occupancy levels have a direct impact on trusts’ ability to provide safe and timely care and increases the number of patients receiving treatment in inappropriate spaces such as corridors. From our partnerships with the NHS we know that it is not simply a matter of adding additional beds. Instead, we believe the solution lies in providing the NHS with a service that can solve both the capacity and staff gap.
“To support the NHS we have added a ready-to-go, modular ward to our On-Demand solutions which provide additional bed capacity where needed. It can be operational from as little as 95 working days from the point of instruction. We have also partnered with Medacs Healthcare who will provide a dedicated clinical workforce within the On-Demand General Ward enabling it to be fully operational without impacting on services within the existing estate.
The On-Demand General Ward from Darwin Group, which can boost bed capacity by up to 32 beds, is aligned to the Royal College of Nursing’s recommended eight-bed nursing unit ratio. The General Ward can be added as an extension to an existing building or operate as part of an independent site. The solution also has the option of coming with maintenance packages to help the avoidance of future repair costs. It can also act as a decant space while trusts undertake vital maintenance or refurbishment on their existing buildings.
Hayley concluded: “Using the On-Demand General Ward will enable NHS staff to deliver care safely, reducing the numbers of patients receiving care in corridors or other clinically inappropriate places. We believe On-Demand is the solution to stop corridor care and ensure patient safety across the NHS.”
To find out more about the On-Demand General Ward visit: https://contact.darwingroup.co.uk/general-ward
