Fall in hospital beds contributing to patient deaths

Fall in hospital beds contributing to patient deaths A decline in the number of hospital beds is putting the NHS in England under increasing pressure and has become an important contributory factor in the number of patient deaths, according to one of the country's leading health statisticians.

An investigation by Professor Sir Brian Jarman shows that average occupancy levels for hospitals in England have climbed to more than 89 per cent and have not gone below the government's recommended average of 85 per cent since 2002.

Meanwhile, the number of beds has more than halved over the last three decades. BBC News