Number of available beds

Summary

The requester asked for data on empty hospital beds at 8am and instances of inappropriate ward admissions over three months. The authority provided bed availability data for 7:30am but refused the 8am specific data and ward breakdown due to lack of routine collection, while confirming all patients were admitted to appropriate wards.

Key Facts

• Bed availability data was provided for 7:30am instead of the requested 8am.
• The report covers the main hospital building but excludes Ramsey medical beds.
• Data on the remaining bed base was refused as it is not routinely collected.
• The authority confirmed all patients were admitted to appropriate wards.
• Occasional admissions to different parts of the facility were due to compassionate or clinical reasons like infection control.

Data Disclosed

• 2018-06-18
• 2018-08-09
• 8am
• 7:30am
• 507333
• three months

Exemptions Cited

• Practical Refusal Reason exemption

Original Request

Could you please advise of the number of empty beds at 8am in the main hospital building for the last three months and in which wards the vacant beds were. In the last three months has their been occassions when patients could not admitted to the appropriate ward. The above to exclude any ward used for day treatment

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Chief Executive: Malcolm Couch Freedom of Information Team DHSC Digital Cronk Coar Strang IM4 4RJ

(01624) 642621 dhsc@foi.gov.im Website: www.gov.im/dhsc 9 August 2018
Our ref: 507333

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 18 June 2018, which states:

1)"Could you please advise of the number of empty beds at 8am in the main hospital building for the last three months and in which wards the vacant beds were. 2) In the last three months have there been occasions when patients could not admitted to the appropriate ward? As to a ward, I mean a ward that has been used for this purpose’. The above to exclude any ward used for day treatment"

Our response to your request is as follows: 1) Please see attached the Daily (medical) Bed Availability in the main hospital building (not including the medical beds available in Ramsey) at 7:30am (not 8am as requested). The remaining bed base is not covered in this report, as it is not routinely collected- this part of the question is refused under the Practical Refusal Reason exemption. 2) Following an assessment, I can confirm that all patients in the Hospital have been, and will continue to be admitted to the appropriate Ward. There are a small number of occasions where it may be necessary or compassionate, due to individual’s circumstances (palliative care, infection control, gender specific demand) for patients to be admitted to a different part of the hospital facility. However, this does not constitute an inappropriate Ward, as beds were available, or would have been made available in the required Ward at the time of these decisions being made.

Please quote the reference number 507333 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely

Chief Executive: Malcolm Couch Freedom of Information Team DHSC Digital Cronk Coar Strang IM4 4RJ

(01624) 642621 dhsc@foi.gov.im Website: www.gov.im/dhsc 9 August 2018
Our ref: 507333

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 18 June 2018, which states:

1)"Could you please advise of the number of empty beds at 8am in the main hospital building for the last three months and in which wards the vacant beds were. 2) In the last three months have there been occasions when patients could not admitted to the appropriate ward? As to a ward, I mean a ward that has been used for this purpose’. The above to exclude any ward used for day treatment"

Our response to your request is as follows: 1) Please see attached the Daily (medical) Bed Availability in the main hospital building (not including the medical beds available in Ramsey) at 7:30am (not 8am as requested). The remaining bed base is not covered in this report, as it is not routinely collected- this part of the question is refused under the Practical Refusal Reason exemption. 2) Following an assessment, I can confirm that all patients in the Hospital have been, and will continue to be admitted to the appropriate Ward. There are a small number of occasions where it may be necessary or compassionate, due to individual’s circumstances (palliative care, infection control, gender specific demand) for patients to be admitted to a different part of the hospital facility. However, this does not constitute an inappropriate Ward, as beds were available, or would have been made available in the required Ward at the time of these decisions being made.

Please quote the reference number 507333 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely