Thursday, July 11, 2024

TREND TOWARDS OUTPATIENT CARE RECORDED IN THE EU

 Filenews 11 July 2024



The countries with the lowest number of hospital beds in the European Union include Cyprus, which, according to data released today by Eurostat, is very close to Malta (2,158 beds) and Luxembourg (2,609 beds), which may also lead to the conclusion that indicators are influenced by the small size of the population.

According to the data, Cyprus has 2,857 hospital beds, which corresponds to 319 beds per 100,000 inhabitants.

In general, the EU has recorded a continuous trend over the last ten years towards a decrease in the number of hospital beds. According to the data, from 2012 to 2022, the number of beds in the EU decreased by 7%, from 2.47 million to 2.3 million.

In proportion to population, the average hospital bed number per 100,000 people decreased from 563 in 2012 to 516 in 2022.

This decrease, as noted, reflects the new methods followed, the development of medical technology and new technologies that significantly reduce the average duration of hospitalization while increasing the provision of day and / or outpatient care services (outpatient clinics).

Cyprus also records low rates in contrast to the Netherlands which records the highest rates with 1,420 beds per 100,000 people, followed by Sweden (1,299) and Belgium (1,283).

The largest number of hospital beds is recorded in Germany, which has the second highest number of beds in relation to its population, 766 beds per 100,000.

The largest number in relation to its population is recorded in Bulgaria with 823 beds per 100,000 inhabitants. Romania ranks third in terms of population ratio, with 728 hospital beds per 100,000 inhabitants.

The countries with the lowest hospital bed rates relative to their population are Sweden (190 beds per 100 000 people), the Netherlands (245), Denmark (248), Finland (261), Ireland (291) and Spain (294 beds).

These countries, however, as indicated in official data, may record low bed/population ratios due to the promotion of outpatient care or the operation of day care centers.