Legal Threat For Hospital Patients To Go Home

[Still Waters]

A hospital is to tell patients who are fit to leave hospital but unwilling to be discharged that they must go within seven days or face legal action.

Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch NHS Trust made the decision after a manager revealed that some relatives were refusing to take their relatives home - in some cases because they were going on holiday or redecorating their homes.

http://news.sky.com/...atients-go-home

[Eldorado]

I've never heard of the 'unwilling to be discharged' being allowed to remain on a hospital ward. Plenty of 'having to stay' because they need further care and support at home though.

'Tis a sad old world.

[freetoroam]

yep, thats news to me too, they want your bed, you are out!

[Mr.United_Nations]

With so many patients needed care, this is a good idea, the NHS has a huge bed shortage.

[stevewinn]

I've heard stories of people asking the hospital to take in elderly relatives, while they go away on holiday. - people mistreat the NHS. regardless of what people think of the NHS it's current model is unsustainable, at some point were going to have to pay more. - out of interest i got my tax break down from the inland revenue yesterday. giving you a breakdown of how much exactly of your tax is spent in the Health (NHS) column it said i paid, £1,543. (that's £29.67 a week) ( £128.58 a month) good value or what?

Edited November 27, 2014 by stevewinn

[freetoroam]

I've heard stories of people asking the hospital to take in elderly relatives, while they go away on holiday. - people mistreat the NHS. regardless of what people think of the NHS it's current model is unsustainable, at some point were going to have to pay more. - out of interest i got my tax break down from the inland revenue yesterday. giving you a breakdown of how much exactly of your tax is spent in the Health (NHS) column it said i paid, £1,543. (that's £29.67 a week) ( £128.58 a month) good value or what?

its good value if you use the NHS on a regular basis. Its even better if you get it for free because we are paying into it...and even better better news if you can use the service and have never paid a penny into it. keep up the good work, your country needs you!

[stevewinn]

its good value if you use the NHS on a regular basis. Its even better if you get it for free because we are paying into it...and even better better news if you can use the service and have never paid a penny into it. keep up the good work, your country needs you!

i guess so, all things considered.

[skookum]

I've never heard of the 'unwilling to be discharged' being allowed to remain on a hospital ward. Plenty of 'having to stay' because they need further care and support at home though.

'Tis a sad old world.

Unfortunately I have heard too many stories of people being discharged in a right old state. A lady I worked with some years ago got a desperate call from her boyfriend who had his spine pinned and was called a cab and told to lie on the back seat. He was it such agony when his girlfriend got home she called an ambulance, later it emerged the operation was a failure and he should never have been sent home.

On a personal note when I had my left foot reconstructed I spent 5 days in hospital on a morphine drip. A few years later I had my right foot done and I was discharged the next day with paracetamol. Luckily I had a brilliant GP who came to my house gave me a morphine jab and prescribed me oral morphine. I had never experienced pain like it.

I am all for stopping the mickey takers but the NHS tends to run to the letter of rules and has little to no flexibility. I fear genuine people could suffer, anyway in the case of elderly people shouldn't it be a social services matter?

Edited November 28, 2014 by skookum

[Eldorado]

I fear genuine people could suffer, anyway in the case of elderly people shouldn't it be a social services matter?

Yes. That's why there are 'care workers' at British hospitals. 'Vulnerable' patients with no obvious carer are supposed to be 'assessed' before leaving after a stay.

You should complain about your hospital treatment, btw. Your GP will no doubt help you.

[Moon Gazer]

I'm currently pregnant and have had two previous children via c-sections. I was chatting with my midwife regarding the stay in hospital after the c-section (mostly because this time it's an unusual situation as I am a surrogate for my sister who is unable to have children of her own). My midwife told me that people often go home within 24 hours of a c-section now!!

When I had my first 8 years ago I came home on the fourth day (3 nights) and with my second child I came home on day 3 (2 nights).

I hate hospital and am glad to get home, I can't imagine why people would want to stay there.

[libstaK]

WOW, I can't imagine such a thing - asking the hospital to keep your relatives so you can go on holiday. It might happen, but it's the first I've heard of it. Surely if there is an elderly family member, social services would have a service to provide "respite" for the carer? I don't know myself to be honest, I've never needed to ask but you would hope there would be alternatives to leaving elderly in hospital care if they can't travel? I mean, if there are 3 generations in the home, it is understandable that parents of young children would want them to experience a holiday as well as being a carer for their own parents for most of the year too?

[stevewinn]

WOW, I can't imagine such a thing - asking the hospital to keep your relatives so you can go on holiday. It might happen, but it's the first I've heard of it. Surely if there is an elderly family member, social services would have a service to provide "respite" for the carer? I don't know myself to be honest, I've never needed to ask but you would hope there would be alternatives to leaving elderly in hospital care if they can't travel? I mean, if there are 3 generations in the home, it is understandable that parents of young children would want them to experience a holiday as well as being a carer for their own parents for most of the year too?

Where i heard it was on BBC Radio Merseyside, they have a general discussion phone in, Hosted by Presenter Roger Philips. and anyone can phone in. i cant remember what day it was, most probably the day this story broke. but they had someone on representing the Hospital trust, and they give a number of examples like the one i repeated on here. Its shocking to hear what's going on, its akin to listening to those stupid 999 calls. which leaving you scratching your head in disbelief.