Nid yw gwelyau gofal critigol yn cael eu defnyddio'n briodol bob amser. Er enghraifft, nid oes angen y lefel ddwys honno o ofal ar bob claf mewn gwely gofal critigol ac mae'n bosibl bod rhai cleifion mewn gwelyau gofal critigol yn aros i gael eu trosglwyddo i ward ysbyty arferol i barhau i gael gofal a chymorth. Gall oedi wrth drosglwyddo cleifion arwain at ganslo llawdriniaethau neu drosglwyddo cleifion sy’n ddifrifol wael i ysbyty arall oherwydd nad oes digon o welyau gofal critigol ar gael. Mae gwelyau gofal critigol yng Nghymru wedi'u gwasgaru dros nifer fawr o ysbytai, ond mae consensws cynyddol ymysg clinigwyr mai opsiwn gwell fyddai eu crynhoi ar nifer lai o safleoedd.
Critical care beds are not always used appropriately. For example, not all patients in critical care beds need that intense level of care and some patients in critical care beds may be waiting to be transferred to a normal hospital ward for ongoing care and support. Delays in transferring patients can result in cancelled operations or critically ill patients having to be transferred to another hospital because of a shortage of available critical care beds. Wales’ critical care beds are spread over a large number of hospitals but there is a growing consensus of opinion among clinicians that they may be better be concentrated on fewer sites.