Evaluation of redesignation of acute medical wards to geriatric rehabilitation/assessment.

This paper examines the results of the change of use of 44 out of a complement of 128 general medical beds to geriatric rehabilitation/assessment beds in a general hospital. The method is based on bed utilisation statistics and the results demonstrate that the reduced complement of medical beds functions more efficiently with no reduction in the number of discharges despite a reduction of 34% in available beds.