bed blocking (C1)
noun phrase
Pronunciation: ˈbɛd ˌblɒkɪŋ
Definition
The practice of patients who are medically ready to be discharged from a hospital continuing to occupy a hospital bed because arrangements for their transfer to another care facility or their return home have not been completed.
Examples
Bed blocking is a significant issue in many healthcare systems, leading to longer waiting times for new admissions.
The government has introduced new initiatives to reduce bed blocking by improving social care services.
Hospitals are struggling to manage patient flow due to persistent bed blocking from delayed discharges.
How to Use bed blocking
- bed blocking (collocation)
- The phenomenon itself. — "The hospital is struggling with severe bed blocking."
- cause bed blocking (collocation)
- To be the reason for or contribute to the problem of patients occupying beds unnecessarily. — "A lack of social care places can cause bed blocking."
- reduce bed blocking (collocation)
- To decrease the number of patients occupying hospital beds when they are ready for discharge. — "The new policy aims to reduce bed blocking by speeding up transfers."
- suffer from bed blocking (collocation)
- To be negatively affected by the problem of unnecessary hospital bed occupancy. — "Many hospitals suffer from bed blocking during winter months."
Synonyms of bed blocking
Words with a similar meaning to bed blocking:
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