Hospital bed occupancy demystified

Abstract

Part one of this series investigated the adequacy of current models used to forecast bed demand. This part explores the issues surrounding the correct level of occupancy required to deliver effective and safe health care. Economy of scale as explained by queuing theory is a significant factor in understanding bed occupancy. However, irrespective of the occupancy specific to different size hospitals, an absolute maximum occupancy in the range 82 to 85% is required to keep the level of hospital-acquired infection at the minimum possible level.