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NHS Confederation comments on the Ombudsman report on NHS discharges
Phil McCarvill, Deputy Director of Policy, NHS Confederation, comments on the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report on NHS discharges:
“There is no greater priority in the NHS than patients’ safety and wellbeing. The experiences of the people in this report were unacceptable and we know that everyone in the NHS will take the findings seriously. This should trigger an important public conversation about when it’s most appropriate to discharge patients so that the process is as safe and dignified as it can be.
“Most discharges from the NHS are successful and the report of our Commission on Improving Urgent Care for Older People set out the range of good work currently underway in the service to ensure care is as good as possible. This includes planning support for discharge from the moment someone is admitted to hospital. It means ensuring that the people who use services are active partners in shaping their care, not simply passive recipients.
“Health and social care is in an incredibly difficult place, with demand increasingly outstripping resources, and this is reflected in growing delays in discharging patients. It’s vital that all of us – including Government and national bodies – align around the common goal of transforming services to better meet people’s needs. Underfunded social care services continue to put immense pressure on NHS services and hamper efforts to improve care. This must be addressed by the Government.”
