Last updated on Wednesday, 20 December 2023 at 04:15pm

COVID-19 headline 7 day occupied beds percent change

Summary

• Topic: COVID-19
• Category: headline
• API name: COVID-19_headline_7DayOccupiedBedsPercentChange

Rationale

Understanding rates and patterns of hospital admissions can help to inform planning around hospital pressures including beds and staffing.

Definition

This metric shows the percentage difference in the average number of beds occupied by confirmed COVID-19 patients over the latest 7 days and over the previous 7 days.

Methodology

This data includes people admitted to hospital who tested positive for COVID-19 in the 14 days before their admission and during their stay. Hospital inpatients who are diagnosed with COVID-19 after admission are reported as being admitted on the day before their diagnosis.

Admissions figures include people admitted to NHS acute hospitals and mental health and learning disability (MHLD) trusts.

Updates are published by NHS England on a Wednesday, and contain data up to the previous Sunday.

This metric is calculated as the difference between (the total of the daily number of beds occupied in the 7 days up to and including the most recent date, divided by 7), and (the total of the daily number of beds occupied in the previous 7 days , divided by 7), divided by (the total of the daily number of beds occupied in the previous 7 days , divided by 7)

Caveats

A change from 0 to a number greater than 0 will be displayed as 100% increase. A change from a number greater than 0 to 0 will be displayed as -100% i.e. a 100% decrease