Trends in hospital bed management--relationship to quality of care.

This paper examines some of the pressures which have been applied to both public and private hospitals in recent years and highlights the major responses of both types of hospitals. It is noted (a) that the pressures being applied to hospitals do not include quality of care and service as a primary objective or consideration and (b) that the overall effect of such pressures has been (i) to compromise quality of care and service in public hospitals and (ii) to encourage private hospitals to move into new areas of health care by ensuring high quality care and service as the basis of their continuing growth.