The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema & Tv
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
      • Shows
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

NHS orders review of “unacceptable” patient discharges

NHS orders review of “unacceptable” patient discharges
19 April 2012
Sophie Mihell-Hale
Avatar
Sophie Mihell-Hale
19 April 2012

Following figures released concerning the overnight discharge of vulnerable patients on the NHS, Sir Bruce Keogh, the medical director for the National Health Service, has stepped in and ordered a review of the service. The information shows that in 2011, 293,000 patients in 100 hospital trusts had been sent home between the hours of 11pm and 6am. With all other trusts taken into account, estimates put the potential number at around 400,000, which breaks down into an average of almost 8,000 patient discharges a week. Hospitals in Derby, the Midlands and Chester came out with the highest percentage of overnight discharges. 

In a letter addressed to medical directors in the Strategic Health Authorities (SHA), Keogh emphasised the “unacceptable” examples of sending the elderly and vulnerable home late at night, stressing that their practices “need to be addressed urgently”.

He has ordered an urgent review amid concerns as to the welfare of vulnerable patients and the worry that they are being left to fend for themselves after being expelled from hospitals. “We all agree that patients should be treated with compassion, so it is simply not acceptable to send them home when they may have no family members nearby to support them,” he said.

Chief executive of The Patients Association Katherine Murphy echoed this, questioning “is it convenient and safe for a patient to go home without any warning…? How ‘patient-centred’ is this?” 

Keogh’s warning came as David Cameron prepared to meet with a panel of nurses, patient and medical experts over other concerns about patient care in the NHS system. Evidence last year from the Care Quality Commission (the NHS watchdog) indicated that 20% of hospitals were breaking the law concerning elderly patients, while 40% did not offer appropriate and respectful care. He discussed the treatment of patients, improving patient trust and restoring a sense of pride to the nursing profession.   

Keogh will meet with the SHA medical directors next month to track the progress being made. David Stout, deputy chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents NHS managers said, “what is critical is making sure hospitals are confident that their arrangements for discharging patients and getting them home are both appropriate and safe.”

Sophie Mihell-Hale

Related Itemsreview

More in Uncategorised

Taste (Vị)

★★★★★
Oliver Johnston
Read More

Black Country, New Road at Southbank Centre Online

★★★★★
Jasper Watkins
Read More

Body Brokers

★★★★★
Umar Ali
Read More

Mouthpiece

★★★★★
Georgia Howlett
Read More

Sentinelle

★★★★★
Mersa Auda
Read More

Jesus Egon Christ (Jesus Egon Christus)

★★★★★
Catherine Sedgwick
Read More

Jesus Egon Christ: An interview with directors David and Saša Vajda

Ezelle Alblas
Read More

International Women’s Day: Three female pioneers of the drinks industry talk empowerment, innovation and inclusivity

The editorial unit
Read More

The Father

★★★★★
Jonathan Marshall
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap
  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Celebrate International Women’s Day with a Bombay Sapphire Cocktails & Create masterclass
    Food & Drinks
  • Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Limbo
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • Women in film introduce favourite female-directed features for new BFI series from 8th March
    Cinema & Tv
  • Delectible drinks that would make the perfect Mother’s Day gift
    Food & Drinks
  • Taste (Vị)
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • Black Country, New Road at Southbank Centre Online
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Body Brokers
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Mouthpiece
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Sentinelle
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Black Country, New Road at Southbank Centre Online
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Vicious Fun
    ★★★★★
    Glasgow
  • Berlinale 2021 winners: The full list
    Berlinale
  • WandaVision
    ★★★★★
    disney
  • Coming 2 America
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Gandhi memorabilia auction sparks outrage in India
Fracking to resume in the UK despite earthquake risk