Social care fund 'fails to reduce pressure on hospital beds'

[Northerner]

Government plans to treat more patients in the community are not easing pressure on NHS hospitals or saving money, says the National Audit Office.

It looked at progress in England following the introduction of a £5.3bn Better Care Fund to help local authorities invest in services to keep patients out of hospital.

It says in its first year, the fund has helped join up health and social care.

But it hasn't led to the expected reduction in hospital workload.

The Department of Health said it was too soon to judge the Fund's impact.

According to the NAO, within the first year of the Better Care Fund being introduced:

• The number of emergency hospital admissions has gone up, not down.
• The number of people stuck in hospital because they have no suitable care package available to them in the community - be that a place in a care home or adequate homecare - has also risen.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38894593

 

[mikeyB]

There isn't the infrastructure for the £5.3bn to help, that's why there's been no significant effect. Where is the social support for bed blocking patients? It's all words, smoke and mirrors. The government will say, well they've got all this money, it's not our fault. but it is.

 

[Amigo]

There isn't the infrastructure for the £5.3bn to help, that's why there's been no significant effect. Where is the social support for bed blocking patients? It's all words, smoke and mirrors. The government will say, well they've got all this money, it's not our fault. but it is.

I agree the infrastructure isn't behind it and the private social care sector is in crisis. Homes are closing and the quality of home carers can be woeful! Combine this with pressure in community nursing and there isn't the multi disciplinary home support to keep people in their own homes. A lot of elderly people wouldn't end up in hospital from residential care or private homes if the joined up support was there.

 

[trophywench]

Hospitals and HCPs in the Community simply don't communicate.

Husband in specialist Urology ward after prostate op - always a catheter for about a fortnight, so discharged with full explanation and home care discussion, lots of leaflets and the Specialist Nurse (yep a real one, specialist Uno degree, all completely pukka and very knowledgeable just as you'd want) says she's tried ringing the District Nurse service but couldn't get through. Thing is they have to be told because it is THEY who must come out to you for purely catheter problems should you have any. Can you ring them tomorrow instead of me ? (it's teatime by this time so quite understandable why she couldn't get through really) Yes Ok, NP, can do that. Anyway - hopefully you won't have a problem.

Off home we go. So next morning Pete rings them as instructed and Deep Sigh. No - we haven't got the time or the staff to come out to chaps like you - you'll have to go back to the hospital because you haven't at this stage been discharged back to your GP's care - you are still under the hospital until the catheter comes out at the end of next week ! Duly apologetic and very pleasant.

But whoever talks to whoever - if they don't disseminate the info down to the flippin sharp end - what's the use?

So he had no problems until on the Friday before the thing was due to be removed on the Monday - he got a blockage up at the bladder end in which case he'd been told several times - straight back to A&E - ask for the On Call Urology consultant and they'll sort it. So there's another quite amusing little tale. Duly did as instructed. Eventually saw the Triage Nurse. Very pleasant - BG, BP, repeat symptoms and then she says - apologetically - that she doesn't quite understand his request to see the On Call Neurology Consultant ??????

We burst out laughing!

So anyway he's back on the Urology ward that night, so we tell Sharon (the Specialist Nurse) when she has a minute - about the District Nurse situation - she says thank you for telling ME that! .... and she'll be asking questions ......

It subsequently transpired that NONE of the Consultants knew a THING about that, either.

And of course - that's just one of the very very little tips of the multi headed iceberg we know and (used to?) love as the NHS ..........

 

[mikeyB]

I've said this before, but I'm just glad I live in Scotland.