Lack of acute beds overcrowds emergency departments

doi:10.1136/bmj.324.7343.0/f

Lack of acute beds overcrowds emergency departments

Overcrowding in the emergency department is the biggest impediment to the delivery of care, says Fatovich (p 958) in thisweek's clinical review. The main cause is that the inflow intodepartments is greater than the outflow as patients are deniedaccess to ongoing care owing to bed shortages. This is termed"access block." Departments, he warns, may no longer be able tosupply emergency care that is both timely and of a high quality.

(Credit: LETTAU/ARNOLD INC/SPL)