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 1980.1 Levels of bed occupancy have risen during this period.1 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.1 We aimed to develop a valid instrument for the objective assessment of appropriateness of occupancy of surgical beds