'Bed blocking' on Medical and Elderly Wards at Nobles

Summary

The requester asked about the extent and trends of 'bed blocking' on Medical and Elderly Wards at Noble's Hospital and any plans to address it. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed that the rolling average of delayed discharge patients across Noble's and Ramsey Hospitals is 10, with no impact on elective admissions or emergency capacity.

Key Facts

• The rolling average number of delayed discharge patients is 10 across both Noble's and Ramsey Hospitals.
• No elective admissions have been cancelled as a consequence of these delays.
• Medical capacity to meet daily emergency demand remains available.
• A specific plan of action is agreed for each delayed patient.
• Delayed cases are discussed daily by multi-disciplinary teams and at Tuesday and Thursday safety meetings.

Data Disclosed

• 10
• 2018-08-30
• 2018-09-18
• 582037

Original Request

Please can you provide information on the extent to which 'bed blocking', or 'delayed transfers of care', is a problem on the Medical and Elderly Wards? If this is an established problem, is it on the increase, and is there an identified way of tackling this problem?

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

Our ref: 582037 18 September 2018

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 30 August 2018, which states:

"Please can you provide information on the extent to which 'bed blocking', or 'delayed transfers of care', is a problem on the Medical and Elderly Wards? If this is an established problem, is it on the increase, and is there an identified way of tackling this problem?"

Our response to your request is as follows: The rolling average number of delayed discharge patients is 10, across both Noble’s and Ramsey Hospitals. The impact of these delays is kept to a minimum, in that no elective admissions have been cancelled as a consequence, and medical capacity to meet the daily emergency demand is available.
A specific plan of action is agreed for each patient that is delayed, which are then discussed in detail by members of the multi-disciplinary team on a daily basis, and with the wider hospital team at the Tuesday and Thursday morning safety meetings. Please quote the reference number 582037 in any future communications.

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I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely