General · 12 January 2026
NHS loses £225m monthly on 13,000 unneeded beds
The NHS is losing billions due to patients who are medically fit for discharge but remain in hospitals. NHS England's data indicates that over 13,000 patients in England and an additional 4,000 in the rest of the UK occupy beds they don't need. This costs £562 per bed daily, totaling over £225 million monthly in England alone. Consequently, surgeries are canceled, and A&E departments face long waits due to bed shortages, exacerbating pressures on the health service.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs