East Antrim Ulster Unionist Assemblyman Roy Beggs MLA, has called for greater resources to be provided for care in the community in order to address the pressure on hospital beds, some 133 of whom are currently blocked for more than 2 days due to complex discharges.
Roy Beggs MLA asked the Minister “To detail the number of patients that are ready to be discharged from hospital but are waiting on suitable accommodation and support, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust.”
In response to the question, Health Minister Simon Hamilton MLA said “My Department has set a target that 90% of complex discharges from an acute hospital are discharged within 48 hours. A discharge is regarded as complex when it can only take place following the implementation of a significant home based or other community based service.”
Mr Beggs, who served for two years on the Health Committee added “It is my view that increased resources provided to home based or community based care would reduce the amount of complex discharges, which is currently a figure of 133 in Northern Ireland, of which 20 are in the Northern Trust area. This in turn would free up hospital beds and reduce waiting times in other areas of the hospital system.”
