Statistical press notice: Monthly critical care beds, cancelled urgent operations and delayed transfers of care data, England – January 2013
Statistical press notice: Monthly critical care beds, cancelled urgent operations and delayed transfers of care data.
Statistical press notice: Monthly critical care beds, cancelled urgent operations and delayed transfers of care data, **England** - January 2013
The main findings for January 2013 were:
Critical Care Beds
- There were 3,785 adult critical care beds available with 3,273 occupied, giving an occupancy rate of 86.5%. This is the highest occupancy rate observed since December 2010, were the figure was 87.4%.
- There were 423 paediatric critical care beds available and 331 occupied, giving an occupancy rate of 78.3%. This is consistent with occupancy rates observed so far this winter and lower than January 2012 were the figure was 79.6%.
- There were 1,365 neo-natal critical care beds available and 934 occupied, giving an occupancy rate of 68.4%. This is the lowest occupancy rate observed since publication started in August 2010, were previously figures had ranged between 69.1% and 76.4%.
Table 1 shows Critical Care Bed Occupancy rates since August 2010.
Details of critical care data for individual organisations are available on the Department of Health website.
Cancelled Urgent Operations
- The number of urgent operations cancelled was 338, which compares to 220 in December 2012 and 322 in January 2012.
Table 2 shows information on urgent operations cancelled from August 2010 to January 2013
Details of cancelled urgent operations data for individual organisations are available on the Department of Health website.
In addition, data on cancelled elective operations can be found on the Department of Health website.
Delayed Transfers of Care
- There were 4,221 patients delayed atmidnighton the last Thursday of the month, of which 2,547 were acute patients.
- There were 125,729 total delayed days during the month, of which 78,035 were acute. 66.4% of all delays were attributable to the NHS, 26.9% were attributable to Social Care and 6.7%, where both agencies were responsible.
- The main reason for NHS delays was “patients awaiting further non-acute NHS care”, this accounted for 33% of all NHS delays. The main reason for Social Care delays was “patients awaiting a residential home placement or availability”, this accounted for 29% of all Social Care delays. Where both the NHS and Social Care are attributable, the major reason for delay was “patients awaiting completion of assessment”.
Table 2 shows information on delayed transfers of care from August 2010 to January 2013. Table 3 shows the number of delayed transfers of care by type of care, reason for delay and responsible organisation for January 2013.
Details of delayed transfers of care data for individual organisations are available on the Department of Health website.
Table 1 - Critical Care Bed Occupancy Rates - August 2010 to January 2013
Month
Adult Critical Care Paediatric Critical Care ** ** Neonatal Critical Care
Open **Occupied **
** **
%
Open Occupied % Open Occupied %
Aug-10
3,346
2,699
80.7%
370
258
69.7%
1,173
826
70.4%
Sep-10
3,453
2,903
84.1%
361
247
68.4%
1,217
848
69.7%
Oct-10
3,489
2,938
84.2%
372
278
74.7%
1,198
853
71.2%
Nov-10
3,515
3,025
86.1%
371
297
80.1%
1,257
932
74.1%
Dec-10
3,525
3,081
87.4%
393
335
85.2%
1,249
941
75.3%
Jan-11
3,550
3,008
84.7%
396
317
80.1%
1,251
911
72.8%
Feb-11
3,677
3,033
82.5%
393
303
77.1%
1,251
924
73.9%
Mar-11
3,679
3,065
83.3%
401
303
75.6%
1,273
882
69.3%
Apr-11
3,707
2,901
78.3%
393
274
69.7%
1,283
980
76.4%
May-11
3,706
3,053
82.4%
398
280
70.4%
1,286
976
75.9%
Jun-11
3,683
2,980
80.9%
402
292
72.6%
1,267
940
74.2%
Jul-11
3,706
2,947
79.5%
392
277
70.7%
1,281
902
70.4%
Aug-11
3,704
2,953
79.7%
396
265
66.9%
1,269
917
72.3%
Sep-11
3,718
3,042
81.8%
409
314
76.8%
1,277
924
72.4%
Oct-11
3,728
3,046
81.7%
396
307
77.5%
1,289
984
76.3%
Nov-11
3,702
3,121
84.3%
393
334
85.0%
1,295
988
76.3%
Dec-11
3,696
2,961
80.1%
393
335
85.2%
1,295
953
73.6%
Jan-12
3,733
3,154
84.5%
402
320
79.6%
1,291
935
72.4%
Feb-12
3,744
3,198
85.4%
405
336
83.0%
1,301
946
72.7%
Mar-12
3,738
3,193
85.4%
404
340
84.2%
1,313
985
75.0%
Apr-12
3,729
3,137
84.1%
407
309
75.9%
1,324
973
73.5%
May-12
3,722
3,189
85.7%
402
301
74.9%
1,319
1,008
76.4%
Jun-12
3,727
3,046
81.7%
395
316
80.0%
1,380
1,026
74.3%
Jul-12
3,719
3,017
81.1%
409
309
75.6%
1,368
985
72.0%
Aug-12
3,712
2,891
77.9%
411
287
69.8%
1,374
979
71.3%
Sep- 12
3,730
3,059
82.0%
405
298
73.6%
1,368
957
70.0%
Oct-12
3,731
3,083
82.6%
410
320
78.0%
1,377
963
69.9%
Nov-12
3,788
3,264
86.2%
425
373
87.8%
1,375
996
72.4%
Dec-12
3,758
3,067
81.6%
426
326
76.5%
1,376
951
69.1%
Jan-13
3,785
3,273
86.5%
423
331
78.3%
1,365
934
68.4%
Notes:
- Data relating to the number of available and occupied critical care beds is a monthly snapshot taken at midnight on the last Thursday of each month and can fluctuate from month to month.
- Before February 2011, data on Critical Care beds were published bi-annually in a separate collection. Therefore, Critical Care data published until January should be treated with a degree of caution.
**
**
Table 2 - Cancelled Operations and Delayed Transfers of Care - August 2010 to January 2013
Month
Urgent Operations Cancelled
Delayed Transfers of Care
Patients Delayed
Total Days Delayed
August 2010
172
4,940
109,918
September 2010
185
5,004
115,855
October 2010
173
4,588
113,246
November 2010
211
4,409
113,091
December 2010
322
3,861
116,466
January 2011
222
4,597
114,346
February 2011
248
4,404
112,386
March 2011
237
4,170
123,130
April 2011
219
3,910
108,064
May 2011
205
4,056
113,364
June 2011
251
4,137
117,075
July 2011
203
4,228
115,517
August 2011
254
4,144
117,297
September 2011
310
4,165
117,194
October 2011
301
4,150
116,878
November 2011
419
4,165
114,705
December 2011
389
3,617
112,096
January 2012
322
4,094
111,934
February 2012
352
4,007
109,532
March 2012
282
4,028
119,736
April 2012
229
3,961
108,566
May 2012
314
3,866
119,474
June 2012
250
4,088
110,528
July 2012
256
4,034
117,590
August 2012
242
3,960
120,123
September 2012
244
4,101
114,703
October 2012
301
4,126
117,251
November 2012
318
3,883
115,567
December 2012
220
3,449
107,631
January 2013
338
4,221
125,729
Notes:
- A change from weekly to monthly data in Aug-10 led to data quality issues with the first few months of delayed transfers of care data in the monthly collection.
- Information on the numbers of people delayed on the last Thursday of the reporting period and the total number of Delayed Days are not directly comparable because the first is a ‘snapshot’ and the second a cumulative total.
Table 3 - Delayed Transfers of Care by Type of Care, Reason for Delay and Responsible Organisation - January 2013
Type of Care
Reason For Delay
Patients Delayed
Total Days Delayed
NHS
Social Care
Both
NHS
Social Care
Both
Acute A) Awaiting completion of assessment
440
117
62
11205
3555
2614
B) Awaiting public funding
41
28
5
1395
451
55
C) Awaiting further non-acute (including PCT and mental health) NHS care (including intermediate care, rehabilitation services etc)
759
NA
NA
23712
NA
NA
Dii) Awaiting nursing home placement or availability
109
73
27
4004
2529
892
Di) Awaiting residential home placement or availability
74
105
NA
2089
3287
NA
E) Awaiting care package in own home
77
144
20
2981
4051
758
F) Awaiting community equipment and adaptations
46
3
6
1565
79
243
G) Patient or family choice
332
12
NA
10401
485
NA
H) Disputes
28
11
NA
732
129
NA
I) Housing - patients not covered by NHS and Community Care Act
28
NA
NA
823
NA
NA
Non-Acute A) Awaiting completion of assessment
120
97
62
3992
2199
1445
B) Awaiting public funding
58
67
20
1754
1838
600
C) Awaiting further non-acute (including PCT and mental health) NHS care (including intermediate care, rehabilitation services etc)
125
NA
NA
3783
NA
NA
Dii) Awaiting nursing home placement or availability
57
111
43
1528
3279
1139
Di) Awaiting residential home placement or availability
87
223
NA
2772
6591
NA
E) Awaiting care package in own home
38
141
25
1217
3886
584
F) Awaiting community equipment and adaptations
34
10
4
813
276
76
G) Patient or family choice
161
40
NA
4209
863
NA
H) Disputes
25
9
NA
754
368
NA
I) Housing - patients not covered by NHS and Community Care Act
117
NA
NA
3728
NA
NA
Notes:
- NA means the combination of reason and responsible organisation is not permitted.
- Information on the numbers of people delayed on the last Thursday of the reporting period and the total number of Delayed Days are not directly comparable because the first is a ‘snapshot’ and the second a cumulative total.
Statistical Notes to Editors
1. **Critical Care data**
Data relating to the number of available and occupied critical care beds is a monthly snapshot taken at midnight on the last Thursday of each month and can fluctuate from month to month.
2. **Delayed Transfers of Care data**
A delayed transfer of care occurs when a patient is medically fit for discharge from acute or non-acute care and is still occupying a bed. For a more detailed definition please read the guidance on the DH website.
Data on the number of patients with a delayed transfers of care is a monthly snapshot taken atmidnighton the last Thursday of each month and can fluctuate from month to month. Data on the number of delayed days is a cumulative figure for the month and therefore, the two are not comparable.
Data on delayed transfers of care is collected from providers of NHS funded care and is split by:
- Local Authority that is responsible for each patient delayed
- Agency responsible for delay (NHS, Social Services or both)
- Type of care that the patient receives (acute or non-acute)
- Reason for delay
A detailed breakdown of the data can be found on the Department of Health website in CSV format.
3. **Trust and Local Authority level data **
Delayed transfers of care data covers NHS patients in English Hospitals, who may or may not reside inEnglandand is published on both a trust and Local Authority basis.
Trust level reflects data at organisation level for those organisations that provide NHS funded care, for example acute Trusts, community providers, mental health trusts and Social Enterprise organisations.
Local Authority data reflects data on a regional population basis, i.e. Councils with Adult Social Services Responsibility (CASSRs) that are responsible for all patients who reside in their region.
4. **Data Quality**
Monthly SitReps data has been collected and published since August 2010. Prior to August 2010, data was collected weekly and was un-validated management information.
Delayed transfers of care data published during the early months of the collection from August 2010 to October 2010 should be treated with a degree of caution as a change from a weekly to a monthly data collection led to data quality issues. Since October, there has been a significant improvement in the coverage and accuracy of this data.
Critical care data published until January should be treated with a degree of caution as data on Critical Care beds was published bi-annually in a separate collection until January 2011. Since February 2011, there has been a significant improvement in the coverage and accuracy of this data.
5. **Data Availability**
Monthly Sitreps data is published approximately 3 - 4 weeks after the end of the reference period.
6. **Revisions**
Revisions to previous month’s data are made in line with the Department of Health’s revisions protocol for performance monitoring data. Future revisions will be made on a six monthly cycle. The revisions protocol can be found on the Department of Health website.
7. **Feedback Welcomed**
We welcome feedback on the content and presentation of Critical Care, Cancelled Operations and Delayed Transfers of Care statistics within this Statistical Press Notice and those published on the DH website. Please email any comments on this, or any other issues regarding the SitReps data and statistics, to: unify2@dh.gsi.gov.uk
Additional Information
To contact the Media Centre, please refer to the Department of Health website for the relevant contact details.
The Government Statistical Service (GSS) statistician responsible for producing these data is:
Mark Svenson
Knowledge and Intelligence
Department of Health
Room 4E63, Quarry House, Quarry Hill, Leeds LS2 7UE
For data queries, email: unify2@dh.gsi.gov.uk