An average of 1,205 overnight beds were available each night at the main hospital trust serving Barnet reports Adam Care, Data Reporter

Hospital equipment with a blurred image of a patient in a bed in the background — Across England, there were 131,862 beds available in this period, an occupancy rate of 89% – (Credit – Radar)

More overnight hospital beds are available at the main hospital trust serving Barnet than before the coronavirus pandemic, despite growing shortages across England, new figures show.

The Royal College of Physicians has warned the NHS is facing “unsustainable pressure”, with high occupancy rates leading to delays in treatment.

New data from NHS England shows an average of 1,205 overnight beds were available each night at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust across April, May and June.

That was an occupancy rate of 76.4% – a lower rate than the same period in 2019, when it was 80.6%.

But across England, there were 131,862 beds available in this period, an occupancy rate of 89%.

This stood at 88.6% 12 months earlier, and at 88.2% in 2019, before the Covid pandemic heaped intense pressure on the NHS.

Dr John Dean, clinical vice president at the Royal College of Physicians, said high occupancy rates have clear consequences for patients and staff.

“Consistently high occupancy rates are leading to significant delays in treating newly presenting patients,” he said.

“Bed capacity issues are being further exacerbated by discharge delays due to pressures elsewhere in the care pathway, particularly in social care.”

The figures also provide a breakdown of different types of NHS beds.

At the Royal Free London, 42.8% of maternity beds were occupied, while this rose to 79% of beds for general and acute care.

Dr Dean said delayed discharges must be addressed to improve availability.

“We must do more to support the Hospital at Home model, allowing patients to continue their recovery at home when it’s safe. This frees up critical hospital capacity for those in need,” he said.

“We’re facing record numbers of patients occupying hospital beds who are medically ready for discharge but can’t leave due to the lack of space in social care.”

He also warned high occupancy rates were forcing hospitals to treat patients in “inappropriate” settings, like hospital corridors.

He said: “This situation is completely unacceptable – it’s undignified for patients and not an environment where they can receive the best possible care.”

An NHS England spokesperson said high occupancy leads to waits for patients, and it has more to do “to deliver more timely care”.

They said the NHS already increased its number of acute care beds to 99,500 last winter, and aims to do the same again this year.

They added: “We’re working with partners in social care and councils locally and nationally to tackle delayed discharges which affect around 12,000 beds a day – with the aim of ensuring patients who no longer require hospital treatment can return home or be cared for in a more appropriate place for them as soon as possible.”

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