Maximising NHS capacity

At the start of 2020, as a proportion of the population, the NHS had some of the lowest numbers of hospital beds, diagnostic equipment and healthcare workers amongst OECD countries.

Whilst no health service could have been prepared for the extreme pressures of COVID-19, the NHS has had to go further than others in maximising the capacity it has to maintain patient care.

Over the past year, we have worked closely with the NHS to help provide it with the added flexibility it needs to grow capacity at short notice to meet surges in demand. This experience has equipped us with insights into how NHS capacity can be maximised in the future, on an ongoing basis by implementing and scaling three key concepts:

1. ‘Pop-up’ step down services to help address Delayed Transfers of Care (DTOCs) and improve patient flow through hospitals
2. Primary and community staff banks providing flexible sustainable staffing capacity underserved areas of the NHS
3. Remote healthcare services, delivering virtual mental health services to thousands of patients in need

For more information on these key concepts and how they can be used to maximise NHS capacity read our latest Insights Bulletin here.