Algae kills dialysis patients in Brazil

Abstract

After the initial drama will there be a bed available?NHS managers meet over beds crisis Senior NHS managers called a crisis meet- ing last week to discuss the nationwide shortage of beds in accident and emergency departments.A hundred and sixty delegates attended the one day conference, which was arranged jointly by the British Association of Medical Managers and the National Association of Health Authorities and Trusts.John Watkinson, chief executive of the King's Mill Centre for Healthcare Services NHS Trust and conference chairman, spoke of the need for better liaison between general practitioners and hospital doctors.He said: "The problem manifests itself at the point of admission to hospital, but it cannot be solved by hospitals alone.It relies on hospitals working with the primary sector and the community and also on cooperation between purchasers and providers to balance supply and demand all year round."Inappropriate use of beds, difficulty in recruiting medical and nursing staff, and the growing numbers. of elderly people, are seen by'senior NHS managers as major problems.Care in the community is also a contributory factor.