Hospital beds · Estimate: possible, not certain
More hospital beds per 10,000 people
Beds per 10,000 people: 23.4 in 2024
The beds ratio would return to its earlier published level, at today’s population, with about
5,177 more beds Estimate: possible, not certain
an increase of 6.3% on today’s beds
Range in the evidence: 3,059 to 5,530 more beds
Range in the evidence: 3.7% to 6.7%What the numbers show
Published figures show beds per 10,000 people at 25.0 in 2021 and 23.4 in 2024 [1][2].
The measures below reduced the need for beds in other countries; they are not about building new beds.
2020: 24.9 → 2021: 25 → 2022: 24.3 → 2023: 23.7 → 2024: 23.4
What was tried elsewhere: comparison
Home care after early discharge
The patient leaves early and finishes treatment at home with visits from a medical team.
Discharge 4.4–7 days earlier in two groups; more readmissions (1.25) [5] — 32 randomised trials, to 2017
Strength of evidence (how far to trust it): Medium
Discharge plan for each patient
A written plan before discharge covering medicines, follow-up and who cares for the patient at home.
0.73 days shorter stay and fewer readmissions (0.89) [6] — 33 randomised trials, to 2021
Strength of evidence (how far to trust it): Medium
Same-day surgery
An operation where the patient comes in and goes home the same day, with no overnight stay.
Cataract day cases: from 46% to 91% in Austria [7] — OECD countries, 2011–2021
Strength of evidence (how far to trust it): Low
Tracking patient journeys
Following each patient from entry to exit to see where delays occur: bed, theatre or test.
No quantified range published [8] — Review paper, World Health Organization, 2010
Strength of evidence (how far to trust it): Low
How it was applied in published programmes
Linked target
Not linked to a published target in the same unit.