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NHS discharge delays hit record levels | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Hospitals in England are facing record levels of delays discharging patients as they miss many of their waiting time targets, official figures show. | |
The October data from NHS England revealed there were more than 160,000 days lost to delays that month - up by a third since 2010. | |
Delays are experienced as hospitals wait for care to be arranged in the community for vulnerable patients. | |
Experts warn the NHS must address the issue this winter. | |
The NHS England data showed: | |
The position on many of the measures is worse than it was this time last year, which ended up being the most difficult winter for a generation. | |
Hospitals in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are also struggling with many of these measures - with the four-hour A&E target being missed across the board. | |
The NHS in winter: Want to know more? | The NHS in winter: Want to know more? |
Special report page: For the latest news, analysis and video | Special report page: For the latest news, analysis and video |
Analysis: The lost beds problem | Analysis: The lost beds problem |
Winter across the UK: A guide to how the NHS is coping | Winter across the UK: A guide to how the NHS is coping |
Video: Why hospitals are under so much pressure | Video: Why hospitals are under so much pressure |
Video: How a hospital can grind to a halt | Video: How a hospital can grind to a halt |
The data has been published as the Nuffield Trust calls for the NHS to invest in extra care beds in care homes and other community settings. | |
The think-tank carried out a review of how the health service performed last year. | |
It found a small proportion of patients - just 3.6% - had taken up more than a third of hospital bed capacity. | |
This was because they spent long periods in hospital or were readmitted on a regular basis. | This was because they spent long periods in hospital or were readmitted on a regular basis. |
The research group said help targeted at this group - most of them frail and elderly - could have a big impact. | |
The report said investing in intermediate care beds could provide a solution - allowing hospitals to discharge the frailest patients into a safe environment until they have recovered or until care packages could be arranged in their own home, or permanent places found in care homes. | The report said investing in intermediate care beds could provide a solution - allowing hospitals to discharge the frailest patients into a safe environment until they have recovered or until care packages could be arranged in their own home, or permanent places found in care homes. |
This has been done in Glasgow, where the local council and NHS have worked together over the past year to ensure care home beds have been freed up for hospital patients to move into temporarily. | This has been done in Glasgow, where the local council and NHS have worked together over the past year to ensure care home beds have been freed up for hospital patients to move into temporarily. |
Nuffield Trust chief executive Nigel Edwards predicted that this winter hospitals were going to find it "even more difficult to cope" unless the health service invested in intermediate care beds to get patients out of hospital. | Nuffield Trust chief executive Nigel Edwards predicted that this winter hospitals were going to find it "even more difficult to cope" unless the health service invested in intermediate care beds to get patients out of hospital. |
'Dignity, compassion' | 'Dignity, compassion' |
A spokesman for NHS England said: "It's important patients who are well enough to leave hospital can do so at the earliest opportunity and are treated with dignity and compassion." | A spokesman for NHS England said: "It's important patients who are well enough to leave hospital can do so at the earliest opportunity and are treated with dignity and compassion." |
Rob Webster, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents hospitals, backed the findings. | Rob Webster, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents hospitals, backed the findings. |
"Hospitals under pressure has become the status quo, and this winter is unlikely to be any different. | "Hospitals under pressure has become the status quo, and this winter is unlikely to be any different. |
"The solution often clearly lies outside of the walls of our hospitals and into communities. " | "The solution often clearly lies outside of the walls of our hospitals and into communities. " |
Are you affected by the issues in this story? Share your experiences. You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Are you affected by the issues in this story? Share your experiences. You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
Or use the form below | Or use the form below |