IPD Bed Transfer

Overview

Bed transfers happen when a patient moves from one bed to another — between wards, from general ward to ICU, from ICU to step-down, or simply to a different room. NICE HMS tracks transfers and adjusts billing automatically.

How to Transfer a Patient

1. Open the patient's IPD encounter from My Patients > IPD or the IPD census.
2. Click Bed Transfer.
3. Select the new bed from the available list.
4. Enter the transfer date and time.
5. Optionally add a reason for transfer (e.g., "Upgraded to private room" or "Moved to ICU for monitoring").
6. Click Confirm Transfer.

What Happens During Transfer

• The source bed status changes to "Cleaning" (or "Available" if already cleaned).
• The destination bed status changes to "Occupied."
• The transfer is recorded in the patient's IPD encounter history.
• Room charges are automatically adjusted — if the room category changed (e.g., from General Ward to Private), billing reflects the new daily rate from the transfer time.

Bed Statuses

Managing Beds

Beds are managed from Admin > Bed Management. You can:

• Add new beds to wards
• Change bed status manually (e.g., mark for maintenance)
• View bed occupancy dashboard
• Configure ward types and room categories

See Bed Management for full details.

FAQ

Q: Does billing update automatically after a transfer? A: Yes. If the new bed is in a different room category, the daily room charge rate changes from the transfer time.

Q: Can I transfer to an occupied bed? A: No. You can only transfer to an Available or Reserved bed. The system prevents double-occupancy.

Q: Is there a limit on transfers per admission? A: No. You can transfer as many times as clinically necessary. All transfers are recorded in the patient's record.