Location in SystemView: SystemView > Explore > Beds > Inpatient Demand > System Overview
In this article:
What it is
The System Overview component provides a real-time snapshot of inpatient demand and bed availability across the hospital. It brings together current patients, available beds, scheduled and unscheduled admissions, transfers, and discharges into a single operational view.
This component is designed to support operational and patient flow teams to understand current pressure, identify wards at risk of negative balance, and adjust plans based on both source data and expected changes.
Why it matters
Support proactive inpatient flow management across the hospital.
System Overview helps teams balance inpatient demand by making bed pressure visible and actionable in near real time.
Key benefits:
- Identifying wards with a negative net bed balance requiring attention
- Understanding the combined impact of admissions, transfers, and discharges
- Supporting timely decisions to manage patient movement and reduce access block
- Providing a shared, operational view for patient flow and bed management discussions
How to use it
Filter to focus your view
Use the filters to tailor the component to specific wards and bed types:
- Ward Type: Filter by Physical wards (on-site) or Virtual wards (off-site, such as Hospital in the Home).
- Group: Focus on Main wards (overnight inpatient wards used for patient flow) or Other wards (such as Medical Day Units).
- Type: Filter by mapped bed types, such as Standard Beds or Special Purpose Beds.
- Ward: Limit the view to one or more specific wards.
- View:
- All wards
- Wards with definite negative net balance (based on source data only)
- Wards with definite and potential negative net balance (based on source data and user inputs)
Monitor current demand and bed balance
The tiles at the top of this component summarise inpatient demand, bed availability, and net balance across the selected filters:
| Tile Name | What It Shows | How it is calculated |
| Total Current Patients | The total number of inpatients currently present across the selected wards and filters. | Adds up the number of current inpatients in each selected ward. |
| Total Free Beds | The number of beds currently available across the selected wards and bed types. | Open Beds minus Current Patients minus Reserved Beds. |
| Total Scheduled Admissions (TCI) | The total number of scheduled inpatient admissions expected for today across the selected wards. | Adds up all scheduled admissions (TCI) for the selected wards. |
| Total Unscheduled Admissions (ED) | The total number of unscheduled admissions expected from the Emergency Department for today. | Adds up all unscheduled ED admissions for the selected wards. |
| Total Net Balance (Definite Only) | The current bed balance using confirmed information from the source system and user inputs only. | Open Beds minus Current Patients, Reserved Beds, Scheduled Admissions (TCI), Unscheduled Admissions (ED), Inter-ward Transfers, and Inter-hospital Transfers, plus Definite Discharges. |
| Total Net Balance (Definite and Potential) | The projected bed balance when both the source system data and user-entered potential changes are included. | Open Beds minus Current Patients, Reserved Beds, Scheduled Admissions (TCI), Unscheduled Admissions (ED), Potential Unscheduled Admissions (ED), Inter-ward Transfers, and Inter-hospital Transfers, plus Definite Discharges and Potential Discharges. |
| Wards with Negative Net Balance (Definite Only) | The number of wards currently in a negative bed balance based on confirmed data only. | Counts how many wards have a negative net balance using source system data only. |
| Wards with Negative Net Balance (Definite & Potential) | The number of wards projected to have a negative bed balance when potential changes are included. | Counts how many wards have a negative net balance after applying both source data and user-entered potential values. |
Use the Current Bed Status table to reflect expected changes
The Current Bed Status table is central to how System Overview is used operationally.
In this table, users can:
- Enter Potential Unscheduled Admissions (ED)
- Enter Net Inter-ward Transfers
- Enter Net Inter-hospital Transfers
- Enter Definite Discharges
- Enter Potential Discharges
- Add comments to provide operational context
These inputs allow teams to capture expected changes that may not yet be reflected in source systems, creating a more realistic and timely picture of ward-level bed pressure.
After entering or updating values, select Save in the bottom right-hand corner of the table. This action updates the calculations used in the tiles and tables above, including potential net balance.
This flexibility supports informed decision-making about patient movement, discharge prioritisation, and short-term capacity management.
💡 For a detailed explanation of each column and how values are calculated, see Understanding and using the Current Bed Status table in System Overview ›
Drill into ward and patient detail
Selecting an individual ward in the Current Bed Status table filters the component to that ward and loads the Current Patient Details table below.
This table displays all current inpatients on the selected ward at a granular level, supporting ward-specific flow discussions and follow-up actions.
Review recent user inputs
The Change log button next to the filter bar opens the Recent User Input Log table.
This table:
- Captures user inputs for potential ED admissions, inter-ward transfers, inter-hospital transfers, definite discharges, and potential discharges
- Displays entries made within the past seven days
- Updates dynamically as new inputs are saved and older entries roll off
This provides transparency and continuity for operational teams working across shifts.
How it works
System Overview combines live inpatient and bed data from underlying hospital source systems with user-entered operational inputs.
The component:
- Refreshes frequently, with most summary metrics updating approximately every five minutes
- Aggregates data across the selected filters to calculate current and projected bed balance
- Uses user inputs only to adjust the balance views and does not change source system data
ℹ️ Note: SystemView remains a read-only analytics platform, and all calculations reflect the latest available data and saved user inputs.
How it helps you
- Improve situational awareness: See current and projected bed pressure at a glance
- Support patient flow decisions: Adjust plans based on expected admissions and discharges
- Focus attention where it is needed: Quickly identify wards at risk of negative balance
- Enable shared understanding: Provide a single, consistent view for operational discussions
- Respond earlier to pressure: Act before source data alone reflects emerging issues
Best practices
How often should I use it?
| What to Do | How Often | Who Should Do It | Why It Helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Review hospital-wide bed balance | Throughout the day | Patient flow teams, bed managers, operational leads | Maintains awareness of emerging pressure |
| Update expected admissions and discharges | As information becomes available | Patient flow teams | Improves accuracy of net balance |
| Drill into ward-level detail | During operational reviews |
Bed managers, operational leads | Supports targeted actions |
| Review recent user inputs | At shift handover |
Patient flow teams | Ensures continuity across shifts |
Pair with these components
- 🔗 Ward View > Ward Demand: Explore ward-level outliers and patient-level drivers of pressure
- 🔗 Bed Capacity Monitor: Review and update ward bed capacity where required
Tips for success
- Use potential fields to reflect realistic expectations, not best-case scenarios
- Save inputs promptly so updates are visible to other teams
- Review both definite-only and definite-and-potential views to understand risk range
- Use comments to capture context that may not be obvious from numbers alone
❓FAQs
Q: What do all the columns in the Current Bed Status table mean?
A: The Current Bed Status table includes both source-system values and user input fields that contribute to the ward-level net balance calculations.
For a detailed explanation of each column, including how user inputs affect projected balances, see: Understanding and using the Current Bed Status table in System Overview ›
Q: Does updating the user input fields for admissions and discharges change anything in the source system?
A: No. User inputs entered in the Current Bed Status table do not update or modify any underlying source systems.
These inputs are used only within SystemView to adjust projected views, such as the Definite and Potential net balance tiles and ward-level calculations. They help operational teams reflect expected changes that may not yet be captured in source data, without altering official records.
SystemView remains a read-only analytics platform and does not write back to source systems.