A web focus from Emergency Medicine Journal

Exit block occurs when patients in the emergency department who require admission to the hospital are unable to be moved to a bed on a ward because of a lack of availability. 

Exit block currently affects over 500,000 patients in the UK each year and accounts for as many as 3000 avoidable deaths.

This year the care of more patients has been compromised and the College of Emergency Medicine seeks to highlight the adverse consequences for patients and staff.