Audit of surgical specialty patients and beds at Pietersburg Hospital, Limpopo Province, South Africa in 2021

Abstract

Background. While the absolute number of hospital beds is usually discussed, adequate utilisation of beds is a far better instrument to measure departmental efficiency. Objective. To measure the number of beds for each surgical specialty in Pietersburg Hospital as well as the average length of stay (LoS) to compare bed utilisation. Method. We conducted a 1-day descriptive cross-sectional audit of patients admitted to surgical wards on 21 April 2021 at Pietersburg Hospital. Results. There were huge discrepancies in the number of beds per surgical specialty as well as the LoS. Over one-third of surgical beds were occupied by patients waiting for either a computed tomography scan, surgical procedure, or transfer. Conclusion. There is a need to address the functioning of the surgical specialties with regards to the number of beds allocated as well as the ideal average length of stay.