The NHS could make space for at least 10,000 much-needed hospital beds in the UK by moving more patient records offsite, according to storage specialist Restore Records Management.

While some hospitals have already gained extra space in this way, many still have huge medical libraries holding physical copies of patient records, often sited in rooms right in the medical heart of the building. 

Restore calculates the average space taken up by records per Trust to be 1,667 square metres, rising to as much as 6,500 sqm for the biggest hospitals.  That’s almost as big as a football pitch (which typically measures 7,140 sqm).

Stefan Chetty, Director of Public Sector Services at Restore, says space could be better used, especially at a time when the NHS is under so much pressure from all angles.

“These are challenging times for many Trusts and finding new space for beds when demand is high is not easy,” said Stefan.

“Nobody is pretending a solution is simple, but part of the answer is right in the middle of hospitals where the medical library, full of physical patient records, takes up valuable clinical space. Our research shows this space could be used for 100 beds on average, and far more in many bigger Trusts. When you multiply that figure by our sample of 136 Trusts across the country it’s a huge number of beds.”

The debate around beds is complicated, sensitive and political, and no single solution can resolve it on its own.  For instance, there is limited value in clearing space for beds if there are not enough staff available to use it. So, a multi-faceted approach is required.

Moving physical records offsite can free up space for the long term and be the first step to digitisation. With the right systems in place, records can be easily located and quickly retrieved.

Stefan concluded, “Having records onsite is seen by hospitals as a benefit, but in fact it can be as much of a curse as a blessing. Good records management can help Trusts focus on patient care and if that means more beds or more space between beds, then it is good for everyone. At this time especially, Trusts need all the space they can get.”

Photo: Stefan Chetty, Director of Public Sector Services at Restore.