HOSPITAL SERVICES REPORT: ACCESS TO CRITICAL CARE SERVICES - MAR97

How many hospital beds are available for patients who need coronary care?

Average number of coronary care beds (excluding step-down beds) available and open at 9.00am, by month^1,2

	OCT95	NOV95	DEC95	JAN96	FEB96	MAR96	APR96	MAY96	JUN96	JUL96	AUG96	SEP96	OCT96	NOV96	DEC96
Available3	7.3	7.0	12.8	10.3	9.8	7.8	7.8	5.3	5.7	5.8	8.8	7.2	10.8	6.1	9.0
Totalopen4,5	77.6	77.8	78.4	77.7	77.0	77.5	79.3	80.7	79.9	78.5	79.4	78.8	79.1	79.7	79.5

 

1. ^{Based upon hospital census taken at 9:00 a.m. daily.}
2. ^{Since July 1996 one–off capital funds of up to $100,000 per intensive care unit bed have been made available by the government to facilitate the opening of eight additional intensive care beds across the metropolitan area.}
3. ^{Available beds are open beds that are available to receive new patients.}
4. ^{Total open beds are all functioning and staffed beds.}
5. ^{Depending on demand, actual maximum and minimum number of beds open on any given day of the month can vary substantially from the reported average. The maximum number of beds open in December 1996 was 91 (4 Dec) and the minimum was 81 (1 Dec). This movement in open bed numbers demonstrates that the intensive care system has the flexibility to increase bed numbers to meet increased demand and close beds during less busy times. The ability of Health Care Networks to more flexibly manage intensive care bed numbers is anticipated to increase as more Health Care Networks take up the Department’s offer of $100,000 capital funding towards the opening of additional intensive care beds.}

^{Source: Office of the Coordinator of Emergency and Critical Care Services}