Abstract
We audited use of acute hospital beds in Connolly Hospital over a 3-month period (January–March 2020) which coincided with increased provision of step-down (nursing home) beds. Our results show both ineffective and inefficient baseline uses of these acute beds. Increased step-down beds improve patient care by reducing the trolley count, shortening average length of stay and reducing waiting lists. These data confirm that more step-down beds are a high priority for our Health Service to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our hospitals i.e. better care at less cost.
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Burke, C., Dolan, E., Faul, J. et al. Delayed hospital discharges and the trolley crisis. Ir J Med Sci 192, 11–14 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-022-02924-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-022-02924-z