DELAYED hospital discharges at Warrington & Halton NHS Trust have reached an all-time high resulting in a total of 413 bed days being wasted.
Warrington North MP Helen Jones has highlighted the dramatic increase in the number of delayed discharges from hospitals in a further sign that the NHS is going backwards under the current government.
At Warrington & Halton NHS Hospitals Trust the number of wasted bed days has increased by 191% since August 2010. In January, delayed discharges meant 413 bed days were wasted, as many elderly people were left stuck in hospital.
Ms Jones (pictured) said: “These figures are shocking and show that the government’s plan for the NHS is failing. They highlight the scale of the care crisis that is affecting the most vulnerable people in Warrington.
“Increasing numbers of elderly people in our community are ending up in hospital, rather than receiving the proper support they need in their own home. This could be avoided if the right care and support in the community or at home was provided.
Instead this government has slashed social care, which is bad for elderly people and their families and costs the taxpayer far more.
“Delayed discharges cost nearly £300 million in the last year alone. That money could have paid for a year of home visits for more than 41,000 elderly people, or 6,875 nurses.
“Labour will join up health and social care to help more elderly people in Warrington stay healthy and living independently in their own homes. “
