NHS on the verge of catastrophe with four in five hospitals with ‘unsafe’ number of free beds
The majority of Britain's hospitals have recorded bed occupancy rates above safe levels, making infections more likely
A staggering four in five hospitals in England are suffering chronic bed shortages as the NHS teeters on the brink of a full blown crisis, new figures show.
In the last month 80 per cent of hospitals have recorded bed occupancy rates above safe levels.
Around 15 per cent of beds are supposed to be kept free to allow staff to clean up and keep patients safe from infections.
But analysis by the Lib Dems shows 124 out of 152 NHS trusts failed to meet the 85 per cent target each day from December 1-18.
And 34 NHS trusts were so jam packed they didn’t have a single bed to spare on at least one day in the same period while more than a quarter had occupancy rates above 95 per cent.
The trusts struggling the most include North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust - which had no beds spare from the 12th to 18th December.
Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust also had no free beds for four days or more this month.
Lib Dem Shadow Health Secretary Norman Lamb said: “The Government must stop turning a blind eye to the funding crisis facing the NHS.”
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He added: “Soaring bed occupancy rates are a symptom of a cash-strapped NHS struggling to cope with rising demand this winter
“Chronic bed shortages have a serious impact on care, with patients facing longer waits, cancelled operations and a higher risk of infection.”
The figures are based on official NHS winter reports for December this year.