50 new beds to ease QEH A&E pressure

Fifty new beds have been delivered to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) and are being installed across wards as part of efforts to reduce bottlenecks in the Accident and Emergency Department, CEO Neil Clark confirmed Monday.

He said the beds, which replace broken or outdated ones, will also allow for better patient movement from A&E, which saw another weekend of overcrowding.

“Some of the beds on the wards are quite old and broken and needed replacing,” Clark said during the final episode of Pulse radio show. “Hopefully it will create some additional capacity for A&E.”

The bed upgrades forms part of what Clark described as a “delivery phase” at the QEH, following months of reviews and groundwork aimed at improving patient care, modernising operations, and addressing longstanding frustrations with wait times and staff conduct.

Among the changes being implemented are a new electronic bed management system, a revised discharge policy with estimated dates for patients, and the recruitment of additional nurses and doctors. 

He further shared that a full review of patient flow through A&E has also been completed, with recommendations now being acted on.

Clark did not mince words in addressing ongoing complaints from patients about poor treatment, stating, “If a staff member is not providing support to a patient or a family member, they really have to think about what kind of organisation they’re working in.

“And if a supervisor or manager doesn’t tackle the individuals, that’s equally unacceptable.”

He also acknowledged that hospital staff sometimes face abuse from patients, but said QEH workers must remain professional and compassionate.

The hospital CEO further noted that delivery in 2025 also includes major steps in digitising hospital systems. 

Digitisation of medical records has started, and the QEH has completed evaluations for a new health information system. 

Tenders are also out for a new HR system to replace the current paper-based setup used for its nearly 3 000 staff.

Clark said over 450 pieces of medical equipment are being procured with funds from the hospital’s capital programme and that key projects such as the linear accelerator for cancer care, the Lions Eye Care Centre upgrades, and the multi-storey infectious disease centre at Enmore are moving ahead.

“We’ve been super busy, but what people really want to see is delivery,” he said. “That’s what we’re focusing on now — not talk.” (SM)