Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
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Ann R Coll Surg Engl · Jul 1994
From hospital to production line: the price of modern surgical bed management?
A global analysis of surgical bed dynamics in a District General Hospital over a typical 18 working day period is presented. All surgical specialties are represented. A total of 2,484 bed days were studied. ⋯ Fifteen per cent of beds were closed for financial reasons. The study of admission and the stay and discharge policies of different specialties indicated that potential cost improvements could be made by the introduction of more day surgery, day of surgery admission, efficient discharge, ring fencing of beds and improved hospital data collection. While these recommendations are financially desirable, their impact on patients and staff remains to be seen.