Case Study: NHS Trust achieves 17% more inpatient bed capacity with SIMUL8

Isle of Wight NHS Trust gains 17% bed capacity for inpatients using simulation

Isle of Wight NHS Trust, the sole provider of integrated acute, community, mental health and ambulance care for an isolated island population, needed a more accurate way to plan inpatient beds. Working with SIMUL8 and its Bed.P.A.C. simulation tool, the Trust wanted to move beyond average-based spreadsheet planning and account for real-world variation in demand, length of stay, discharge timing and winter pressures.

SIMUL8 used Bed.P.A.C. to model patient arrivals and bed usage across specialties, helping the Trust test “what if” scenarios and involve clinicians and commissioners in the planning process. The results supported a reconfiguration of beds that increased medical inpatient bed capacity by approximately 17%, improved community bed planning, and helped reduce admissions by shifting some care into community and home-based support.

NHS Trust

Iain Hendey

Deputy Director - Information Finance & Performance Information Service Isle of Wight