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  7. Understanding NHS beds (current)

Understanding NHS beds

What is a bed?

When the NHS talks about beds, it doesn’t just mean the physical bed, but the services in place to support the patient who is in the bed. There are many different types of bed which are used in both our acute hospitals and our community hospitals. Some you may have heard of include intensive care beds for people who require critical medical attention and constant monitoring, day beds for people who need a bed for several hours following a procedure or minor operation but will be able to go home that day, or palliative care beds for people who need support at the very end of their life. 

All of these beds need different types and numbers of staff to ensure the patient in them receives the right level of support to make them better. 

What is a community rehabilitation bed?

A community rehabilitation bed is mainly used for patients who need extra rehabilitation support before going home after a hospital stay. They can also be used for patients who need more support than they can get at home, but who don’t need to be in hospital. They are not beds that are used in an emergency and they do not offer specialised rehabilitation support, such as the support you need after a stroke or brain injury.

 

Recovering After a Hospital Stay  

Many people are able to go straight home from hospital: 

  • Around 50% go home without further support.
  • Around 45% go home with support from community services.
  • 1% will need ongoing long-term care.

For the remaining 4%, going straight home isn’t the best option yet. These individuals may need a little more time and support to recover fully. This is where community rehabilitation beds come in.

 

Community rehab beds:

  • Help people regain strength, confidence, and independence
  • Can be located in community hospitals or care homes
  • Are staffed by teams such as nurses, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists
  • Focus on rehabilitation, rather than urgent medical treatment
     

Why Are They Important?

  • They give people the right support at the right time.
  • They help prevent people from needing to go back into hospital.
  • They provide recovery care closer to home.
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