Ward

A ward is a group of beds with associated treatment facilities managed by a senior nurse.

Notes:

1. All the rooms in a small hospital may be managed by one senior nurse and they would comprise one ward.

2. Within one group of rooms or room there may be two distinct sets of beds each managed by a senior nurse.

3. Maternity wards of the same type on the same site are treated for regional purposes as a single ward. For this purpose the types of maternity ward are:

 Consultant ward (ward only for patients under the care of a consultant).

 GP ward (only for patients under the care of a GP).

 Joint use ward (patients from categories a and b).

For local purposes, however, such transfers may be identified.

1. For completion of APC ds99, only six ward stays may be recorded. For those provider spells in which more than six ward stays occur it is recommended that the first five ward stays are recorded together with the final ward stay of the provider spell. The end of the fifth ward stay would therefore be recorded as the beginning of the final ward stay.

2. A ward may be available all the time or for only limited time periods during the day or week.