Downsizing Emergency Departments May Create Dangerous Loss Of 'Surge Capacity' For Crisis Situations
Tuesday, June 2, 2009 - 21:21
in Health & Medicine
Factors that lead to emergency department overcrowdings, ambulance diversions and other incidents that endanger patient safety have been revealed. A new study has shown that reductions in the number of hospital beds and downsizing or closure of emergency departments may create a dangerous loss of "surge capacity".