Ward-swap system to be axed by NHS

A CONTROVERSIAL system of freeing up hospital beds by moving patients to the wrong wards is to stop, health chiefs in Lothian have said.

The method, known as "boarding", allows managers to admit new patients more easily into the correct area.

But it also means many patients who have been in hospital for longer are shifted to wards not appropriate for their condition.

Now NHS Lothian's chief operating officer for acute services, Jackie Sansbury, has said it is trying to phase out the scheme altogether. She said more patients would be discharged in the morning.

She said: "We are currently examining patient pathways in a number of areas to help us ensure patients are seen faster.

"We are working to increase the number of patients who are discharged in the morning rather than the afternoon, which will free up beds for patients being admitted later that day.

"Boarding patients is not ideal but it is sometimes necessary in order to manage capacity.

"We are working with clinical staff to reduce the number of boarding patients."