People in Calderdale and Huddersfield are being encouraged to support their loved ones to leave hospital as soon as they are ready to help support a quicker recovery and ease the pressure on local hospital services.
Patients who end up staying longer than necessary in hospital can add to the strain on A&E departments, which are already experiencing increased demand. This has caused even longer delays for patients who arrive requiring a bed.
Our colleagues from across the Trust and our partners in the community, including doctors, nurses, therapists and social workers are working closely with our patients to plan their safe discharge from hospital, making sure our patients are medically optimised to be discharged to be home, but we need the public to step forward and help.
Jo Fawcus, Chief Operating Officer at CHFT said: “Nobody wants to spend more time than they need to in hospital, and we know that our patients recover faster if they are in their own homes supported by friends and family.
“We think of a hospital as a place to get better but spending an unnecessarily long time there can do more harm than good as you can start to lose your mobility and your independence, which is the last thing most people want. An elderly relative lying needlessly in a hospital bed for a week will suffer loss of muscle strength and bulk which will take months to recover.”
“If you have a loved one that is currently in hospital, who is well enough to come home but are waiting to be discharged with a home care and community health support package, you may be able to help them to get home sooner if you and your family could support them whilst at home. Please speak to the ward manager or nurse in charge if this is something you can help with.”
People attending A&E are being reminded that it is there for genuine life-threatening emergencies and serious accidents and if you attend for something else you may have a considerable wait.
If you’re unsure what service to choose, you can call 111 for advice or visit the 111.nhs.uk website. The 111 service can connect you to a nurse, emergency dentist, pharmacist or GP, arrange a face-to-face appointment if you need one, tell you how to get the medicine you need or provide self-care advice.
