A group of beds with associated treatment facilities managed by a senior nurse. All the rooms in a small hospital may be managed by one senior nurse and thus they would comprise one WARD. A WARD may be available all the time or for only limited time periods during the day or week.

Maternity wards of the same 'type' on the same site should for national purposes be treated as one WARD so that a PATIENT moving between them is not counted as a transfer between WARDS. For local purposes it may be useful to identify separately such transfers. Facilities specifically used for delivery in maternity wards should be included as WARDS, or annexed to WARDS.

This class is also known by these names:

Context Alias
plural WARDS