Gooroo Beds
A statistically-validated method for determining the safe number of beds right across the hospital, based on acceptable risk (not assumed bed occupancy)
Whether you’re preparing for winter, reviewing your capacity requirements, or even planning a capital development or site reconfiguration, you’re going to need the strongest possible case for the safe number of beds.
Sounds obvious?
Yet until recently, bed planning relied on generic assumptions about bed occupancy – like the popular 85% figure – even though no single number could possibly apply everywhere. Because the evidence for these occupancies has been so weak, and the risks of exceeding them so poorly understood at system level, bed occupancies been allowed to rise over the years to levels that are manifestly unacceptable.
We can do better.
Modern data science
Using modern data science programming languages and statistics, we have developed innovative algorithms that analyse the variations in bed demand at unprecedented depth and scale to solve this longstanding problem.
Not just for adult general & acute beds, but also for:
– paediatrics,
– critical care,
– maternity,
– and other bed pools.
Working with decision-makers
We’ll work with your senior decision-makers to agree how surges in non-elective demand should be absorbed safely and effectively into other parts of the hospital, and the acceptable risk thresholds for escalation if the surge progresses.
The result is a statistically-validated analysis of the beds required to keep risk within acceptable limits across the bed pool. If bed numbers are below these safe levels, then this analysis gives you a rock-solid case for change.
Free Consultation
Beds are vital to patient safety and operational effectiveness.
They are worth getting right. It’s time to move away from the broad generalisations about bed occupancy that have served the NHS so inadequately over the years, and start planning beds properly based on acceptable risk.
Achieving safe bed numbers
The analysis doesn’t stop there. We work with you to determine the best and most cost-effective way to achieve safe bed numbers with the right combination of:
– extra beds
– hot/cold sites
– shorter lengths of stay
– morning and weekend discharges.
We also find the limits on converting elective beds safely into escalation beds when high demand is expected.
Compelling visualisations
We leave you with comprehensive and compelling visualisations that are ready to insert into your improvement plans, together with detailed explanations of the methods and supporting statistical cross-checks.
If you are also using our Gooroo Planner software for your demand and capacity planning, we can help you configure it to plan the week-by-week capacity needed to optimise beds, and achieve access targets, safely into the future.
You’re in good hands.
We have been working with the NHS for decades…
…both at senior level within hospitals, and by providing demand and capacity planning tools to literally hundreds of healthcare organisations across the UK and internationally. We have field-tested these algorithms at hospitals in England and Scotland, and they are the basis for the NHS England and NHS Improvement guidance “Planning beds, bed occupancy and risk” which we wrote.