❓ WA Parliamentary Question on Notice regarding hospital bed closures and unstaffed beds due to staff and resource shortages in 2007. The response provides definitions and refers to attached tables for specific data, but doesn't directly answer the questions with precise numbers.
AnsweredQoN 2829Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(2) How many beds were closed in 2007 to date due to staff and resource shortages (provide a breakdown of beds and hospitals)?
(3) How many beds were unstaffed at 30 September 2007 (provide a breakdown of beds and hospitals)?
(3) How many beds were unstaffed at 30 September 2007 (provide a breakdown of beds and hospitals)?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
15 November 2007
Responded by
Minister for Health
Response time
29 days
Questions (1) and (3) refer to 30 September which was a Sunday. However, beds closed for weekends that are staffed and available on weekdays only are
included
in the number of available beds in question 1. This is consistent with advice in the National Health Data Dictionary. Beds in day procedure units were therefore considered
available
on 30 September if they were available on weekdays.
Definitions:
Available beds comprise available multiday beds and available sameday beds
Available multiday beds
- The number of beds which are immediately available for use by an admitted multiday patient or resident within the establishment.
Available sameday beds
- The number of beds/chairs allocated for use by an admitted sameday patient within the establishment.
A bed is immediately available for use if it is located in a suitable place for care with appropriate staff available within a reasonable period.
Available Inactive sameday beds
- The number of beds/chairs which are not currently available for use by an admitted sameday patient within the establishment
Available inactive multiday beds
- The number of beds designated for multiday patients that are not currently available for use.
(1) See attached
Table 1 (data for metropolitan hospitals) and Table 2 (data for rural hospitals).
(2) The number of available inactive beds due to staff and resource shortages fluctuates during the course of the year. The bed availability situation on any given date can be provided should it be requested.
(3) 'Unstaffed' is a term no longer used to describe beds as it is misleading. A more accurate descriptor is available inactive beds. Available inactive beds are beds within ward areas into which patients cannot currently be allocated (i.e. are closed for operational management reasons, such as infection control, staffing, clinical, demand management, ward maintenance etc.)
See attached
Table 3.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
included
in the number of available beds in question 1. This is consistent with advice in the National Health Data Dictionary. Beds in day procedure units were therefore considered
available
on 30 September if they were available on weekdays.
Definitions:
Available beds comprise available multiday beds and available sameday beds
Available multiday beds
- The number of beds which are immediately available for use by an admitted multiday patient or resident within the establishment.
Available sameday beds
- The number of beds/chairs allocated for use by an admitted sameday patient within the establishment.
A bed is immediately available for use if it is located in a suitable place for care with appropriate staff available within a reasonable period.
Available Inactive sameday beds
- The number of beds/chairs which are not currently available for use by an admitted sameday patient within the establishment
Available inactive multiday beds
- The number of beds designated for multiday patients that are not currently available for use.
(1) See attached
Table 1 (data for metropolitan hospitals) and Table 2 (data for rural hospitals).
(2) The number of available inactive beds due to staff and resource shortages fluctuates during the course of the year. The bed availability situation on any given date can be provided should it be requested.
(3) 'Unstaffed' is a term no longer used to describe beds as it is misleading. A more accurate descriptor is available inactive beds. Available inactive beds are beds within ward areas into which patients cannot currently be allocated (i.e. are closed for operational management reasons, such as infection control, staffing, clinical, demand management, ward maintenance etc.)
See attached
Table 3.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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