Instrument for objective assessment of appropriateness of surgical bed occupancy: validation study.

The number of hospital beds per head of population has fallen by more than 2% a year since 1980. Levels of bed occupancy have risen during this period. Appropriate bed occupancy is crucial to the NHS, as occupancy rates exceeding 85% in acute hospitals are associated with problems in dealing with emergency and elective admissions. We aimed to develop a valid instrument for the objective assessment of appropriateness of occupancy of surgical beds.