Free Business Dissertations - Medical Researchers Branded Edinburgh Royal Infirmary A Failure, Even Though
Medical researchers branded Edinburgh Royal Infirmary a failure, even though it is Britain’s biggest PFI project costing £184 million (Harris, G, 2003). Bed numbers were based on widely optimistic predictions of increased efficiency and alternative sources of care (Pollock. A et al, 2003)
In general it was expected that reduction of beds was supposed to be implemented in tandem with the improvement in health service delivery and efficiency
The fact remains that the UK has an ageing population, as a result of declines in fertility and mortality rates (www.statistics.gov.uk) 9th September, 2004), and this will increase the pressure on the NHS for less intensive beds.
16% of UK population are aged 65 or over(www.statistics.gov.uk)
Population: by age, UK
The trend for a continued ageing of the population is inevitable for the first half of this century, as the relatively large number of people born after the Second World War, and in the sixties gets older (www.fco.gov.uk).
Approximately 6 million patients in England stayed at least one night in NHS hospitals during 1998 - 99, which was a record level, with two thirds being emergency cases, despite a fall in the number of general and acute hospital beds, made possible by changes in health care practices.
Conversely there was also another record breaking trend with an escalation of operations cancelled for no medical reasons on the day of admission and 20% of emergency patients forced to wait longer than the recommended Charter of two hours. Lack of beds was found to be the most common cause of cancellation (Bourn, J, 2004).
Conclusion
The answer to the increasing pressure on PFI funded hospitals does not only lie with increasing hospital beds, but it is also crucial that hospitals effectively manage the beds available. Failing to place patients quickly in the most appropriate facilities, acute front line / intermediate beds, cancellations or delays of admissions as well as delays in discharge can create enormous frustration and stress for both the patient and the hospital.
The ongoing practice of improved health service care, delivery and efficiency must become the forefront of any Patient Care Charter regardless of PFI funding or not, to confront the challenges which will be inevitable as this society ages over the next fifty years.
Determining optimum service levels depends on correctly assessing expectations and avoiding services that patients do not value, regular feedback is essential to successful satisfaction strategies (Peters et al, 1982), and superior companies have been shown to be good listeners (Albrecht, 1992).REFERENCES
Albrecht. K (1992) The only thing that matters, Harper Collins, New York, NY
BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/637055.stm accessed April 12th, 2005
Bourn.
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