bed blocker
- noun
- Jargon
:
paciente que ocupa cama
- After the assessment, social services arranged support so the bed blocker could be safely discharged.
Examples
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The ward manager said a single bed blocker was preventing several urgent admissions all week.
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The hospital has too many bed blockers right now.
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Many families complained when their elderly relative was labelled a bed blocker in the local paper.
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We need to find a solution for the bed blockers in our wards.
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The hospital has been struggling with bed blockers, which delays care for new patients.
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She was labeled a bed blocker because her discharge was delayed despite being medically cleared.
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Efforts are underway to reduce the number of bed blockers to improve patient flow in the hospital.
How Long
Surface Forms
Morphology
bed + blocker
The compound is compositionally clear: 'bed' (hospital bed) + 'blocker' (one who blocks) yields 'someone who blocks beds' — i.e., a person occupying beds and preventing their availability. Although it is healthcare jargon, the agentive -er formation and literal interpretation make the meaning predictable to a learner who knows the constituents.
Etymology
Bed blocker was used by hospital staff with the same picture in mind: a patient who stays in a bed and so 'blocks' it for others. That's why it now means 'a patient who stays in hospital longer than needed and so leaves fewer beds for others'.