title: Bed-blocking. Acute distress.
abstract: A study of bed occupancy in 21 hospitals over the past two years showed an average of 29 per cent of patients no longer needed acute care. Two-thirds of this group had been in hospital for more than 28 days. About a fifth of this group were under 65. The main reasons for delayed discharges were waits for social services assessment or home-care packages.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vaughan
authors.forename: Gill
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Withers
mesh_terms: D001509:Bed Occupancy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006300:Health Services Misuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010351:Patient Discharge; D013222:State Medicine; D006113:United Kingdom