Paediatric bed capacity in Swiss hospitals: a comprehensive analysis

Switzerland's decentralised healthcare system delegates responsibility for paediatric hospital infrastructure to individual cantons. To date, official statistics on the number and types of paediatric hospital beds are lacking.

This study sought to fill this gap by collecting and analysing data from all paediatric hospitals in Switzerland.

A nationwide cross-sectional e-mail survey was conducted in January 2023. Data on both structurally available and operated beds were collected and descriptively analysed.

The survey identified a total of 1751 beds in 29 paediatric hospitals or departments, of which 85% were operated. Of the total beds, 112 were paediatric intensive care unit beds (80% operated) and 339 were neonatology beds (86% operated). Significant regional disparities in bed availability were identified: the Lake Geneva region has the highest bed-to-child ratios, while Central Switzerland, Eastern Switzerland and Ticino show notably lower ratios.

These findings highlight the current distribution of paediatric beds, the considerable proportion of non-operated beds, and the importance of continued, comprehensive data collection to inform healthcare planning.