Conclusion 16

The Department assumes that these single bedrooms will be more efficient, reducing the average patient length of stay by 0.5% annually, plus an additional one-off reduction of 8% to 10% when the new hospital schemes open. However, some research has indicated that the clinical and economic impact of changing to single-room wards is likely to be modest.32 We asked the Department if single bedrooms are suitable for the majority of patients, who tend to be frail older people. It told us that the designs have been subject to feedback from a wide variety of clinical and patient groups, and that while initially sceptical, staff working in other hospitals with single bedroom wards have been broadly positive about the benefits of operating differently.33 30 C&AG’s report, paras 2.10 and 2.12 31 Q 8 32 C&AG’s report, para 3.14 33 Qq 15 and 43-44 13