Damning report on late-night hospital discharges must lead to real change - Farron

A damning government inquiry published this week about late-night hospital discharges for elderly patients must lead to real reform, South Lakes MP Tim Farron has insisted.

The Public Administration Committee's report highlights "worrying and unsafe discharge practices", acknowledging the "human costs of poor discharge, causing suffering and distress for patients, and anguish for their carers and relatives". The report concluded this is a "persistent problem" and recommended that the Health Secretary introduce changes so that "only those who want to be are discharged between 11pm and 6am".

The report also highlights a "lack of integrated working between health and social care" and a "long-standing social care funding gap". The Liberal Democrats have long pushed for an integrated health and social care system, and have repeatedly called for a cross-party commission into the long-term funding of this system.

Tim has taken up the cases of a number of South Lakeland residents whose experiences of being discharged from the Royal Lancaster Infirmary have been "utterly unacceptable". One example was Steve Rooke from Windermere, whose wife was discharged from hospital in a taxi and was left outside to make her own way up an icy slope to the front door.

Steve Rooke said: "The care my wife received at the hospital was fantastic, but the way she was discharged meant it could all have been for nothing. She could easily have slipped on the icy slope and not made it to the house at all. Patients that are put in taxis should be assisted all the way to the door to ensure they make it home safely, not simply dropped off and left to fend for themselves. Communication from the hospital was also disappointing, as they failed to follow up what happened and keep us informed. We need real changes so that other people don't suffer this same experience."

Tim Farron said: "For far too many South Lakes residents, this report will ring true with their own experiences. I have repeatedly raised these concerns with the RLI, and have pushed for a government inquiry, which has now taken place.

"Elderly patients are being placed at risk - the government must act on this report. We need not just a reform of hospital discharges so that patient safety is not put in danger, but also proper funding for social care and real integration with the health system."