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Patients are being put at risk because of a ‘shocking’ shortage of hospital beds, say experts.Britain has the second lowest number of hospital beds per head of population among 23 European countries after removing more than 50,000 in the last decade alone.
An international report has found that France has more than twice the number of beds per head, while Germany has almost three times as many.
The UK has the second lowest number of hospital beds per head of population according to a new report by the OECD compared to 23 European nations
Only Sweden – which has invested strongly in community care – has fewer hospital beds per head, says the study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Britain’s ratio is only slightly better than China’s.
The OECD, which represents industrialised nations, compared countries based on how many hospital beds they had per 1,000 people in 2011 – the most recent year for which figures are available.
The UK came 29th out of the 40 countries surveyed or 22nd out of the 23 European countries on the list.
Britain’s figure was 2.95 beds per 1,000 people – compared with 6.37 in France, 8.27 in Germany and 13.4 in Japan.
The ratio was far lower than in former Communist countries such as Russia (9.37 beds per 1,000 people) and Poland (6.55) – and lower than the OECD average of 4.83. In Europe, only Sweden was lower than the UK, with a ratio of 2.71.
Some 50,000 hospital beds have been lost from the system over the past decade according to a new OECD report
Britain’s figure was only marginally higher than the ratio in China (2.75) and Turkey (2.54), only a small part of which is in Europe.
Experts warn that the bed shortage puts at risk the ‘quality and safety’ of NHS care, with the possibility that waiting times could start to surge.
They say elderly people are being forced to endure long waits on trolleys for a bed to become free, while operations are too often cancelled because there us no bed available.
Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: ‘These figures are shocking. This again shows a system stretched to breaking point.
‘It is consistent with stories we hear such as people being moved from one ward to the other to create bed space, patients being left waiting in corridors for hours, or being cared for on the trolleys while waiting for a bed leading to unsafe and undignified care.
‘There is overcrowding in the wards and corridors, which increases the risk of infections.
‘We have also heard about people being discharged inappropriately – sometimes in the middle of the night – again to free up beds.
‘The figures are indicative of how poorly the UK is prepared for the needs of its ageing population. This situation must change and we cannot put the safety of patients at risk. It is ultimately the patient who suffers.’
Former communist states such as Russia and Poland have a greater number of hospital beds per head of population compared with the UK
The OECD report also reveals potentially dangerous levels of overcrowding on Britain’s wards, putting the NHS at risk of superbug outbreaks.
The ‘bed occupancy’ rate – the proportion of hospital beds occupied at any one time – has increased in the past decade.
By 2011, it had reached 84 per cent – one percentage point behind the level at which experts say there is a danger of infection being spread because beds are not cleaned often enough. The OECD average is 78 per cent.
Figures from the Department of Health show that since then the rate has increased even further to 86 per cent. The number of hospital beds has fallen by 50,000 in England alone since 2001. The reduction is because of budget cuts and a move away from having patients stay overnight in hospital.
Last night Chris Hopson, chief executive of the Foundation Trust network, which represents NHS hospitals, said: ‘These figures show that NHS hospitals are operating at near full capacity all the time.
‘There is no slack in the system and trusts are constantly juggling their resources to meet patient demand.’
But a Department of Health spokesman said: ‘Bed numbers are not an accurate marker for good care. The NHS is treating people quicker than ever, and more care is being delivered in the community, so far fewer need to stay overnight – which is often better for patients who prefer being at home.
‘Hospitals are also better managing bed capacity to cope with balancing peaks in demand for routine and emergency care.’
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