Delays for a hospital bed after emergency admission is rated at 1 out of 10. That accounts to almost 475,000 patients on the queue for four hours or more waiting for a bed in a ward. Hospitals end up utilizing side rooms and corridors to accommodate patients. The NHS knew about the problem and doctors are worried that hospitals are becoming dangerously overcrowded.
Meanwhile,in the US many industry experts believe that their hospitals are also struggling in coping with the demand. Hospitals already added or converted facilities into the most needed quarters to maximize the capacity considering the shortages of nurses as well. However, hospitals opt for less costly options for the time being, according to Health Affairs.
"Trolley waits" are common but some have to go through the process due to the urgency of their condition and find themselves staying temporarily in spare cubicles or corridors. Rupert Nathan, 55, was taken by the ambulance for chest pains. He had two angioplasties already in the past. Barnet Hospital did blood and heart tests on him.
Since he needed to be admitted, he was stuck for five hours in the waiting area bearing with his chest pain attended only be his girlfriend. He can't feel much interaction with the medical staff and at midnight he got a bed and so he asked for morphine. He is supposed to have scans in the morning but ended up discharged since he felt better.
Siva Anandaciva, of NHS Providers, is worried about the high statistics of long waiting time because of the winter season when many are vulnerable to sickness based on her 10 years experience in the service. Medical personnel also suffer seeing many waiting patients but they have to prioritize based on the extremity of the illness. The patients should not worry about bed shortages at their fragile state, Dr Chris Moulton, of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, agreed to her statement.
Overcrowding for one leads to higher infection rates. Patients are also prone to a traumatic experience when not assigned their own area to be treated on. There's pressure in the system caused by the "growing demand" that is evident. Rising admissions from 500,000 more to 4.2 million in just five years that NHS was able to facilitate are the works of hard working staff. Facility expansion is badly needed, according to BBC.
