Bed-blocking patients in Bournemouth and Poole hospitals reaches 150

Dr Matt Thomas says sorting out the problems in the care sector would have huge, positive impact on hospitals like Bournemouth and Poole.

He spoke on Tuesday as University Hospitals Dorset was in the middle of a major initiative to get as many patients as possible home for Christmas.

Dr Thomas is UHD's deputy chief medical officer and a consultant in older people's medicine.

He said: "Everyone is under pressure at the moment. Not just the NHS but all our partners, especially in social care."

Dr Matt Thomas

As the Echo reported last month there are scores of medically fit for discharge patients in beds at the Poole and Bournemouth sites, but lack of social care packages or other arrangements means they can't leave NHS care. The number is currently around 150.

This is causing major problems because other patients can't be admitted - one of the reasons why ambulances are regularly queuing outside emergency departments.

And the longer patients stay in hospital when they don't need to, the more they deteriorate.

Read more:

• Dorset emergency hospital admissions at 'unprecedented' levels
• Hospital patients waiting be discharged in Bournemouth and Poole
• Covid patients in Poole and Bournemouth ICU are mainly unvaccinated

NHS England and the Department of Health have written to all hospitals asking them to speed up the discharge process in the run up to Christmas. The target is to reduce the numbers by half.

Dr Thomas said: "Every number is a person and it is really important that we get them to where they should be.

Families don't want their loved ones in hospital over Christmas or indeed at all unless it's absolutely necessary.

"There is an unmistakeable lift in wellbeing from being discharged from hospital, closer to loved ones and that is something you simply can't measure in medicine."

Speaking in a personally capacity, Dr Thomas said he believes the government has got it wrong with its plans for additional funding first for the NHS and then social care in the next five years.

Dr Tristan Richardson

"I know our financial people won't agree with me on this, but my personal opinion is that social care needs the resources first.

"Sorting out social care will have huge benefit to the NHS and hospitals in particular because it will free up beds and staff and will enable us to tackle all the other challenges we have.

"The care sector is really struggling for staff and that is a big part of the problem. People are simply not valued in enough in the social care system. Just like staff in the NHS, they really, really care and we have to respect that more."

Meanwhile Dr Tristan Richardson, medical director for medicine at UHD said health and social care services continue to be stretched due to the ongoing pandemic and the role of family and relatives in supporting patients is vital.

He added: "This could include providing some personal care for their relatives in their home, including looking after them during the initial period after they have left hospital."

It could also mean including support with shopping, administering medication, changing dressings, meal preparation, checking on welfare and wellbeing by having regular contact following discharge from hospital. Friends and neighbours can also play a role.

He said: "We thank everyone involved with the ongoing care of our patients as we know what a difference it makes for their recovery and health to be able to safely leave our hospitals when ready.”