Health minister warns public of risk of 'staying in hospital longer than you need' amid bed shortage concerns

Diane Dodds revealed this week that on 1st October, 529 inpatients who were fit to leave were being “forced to remain” in Northern Ireland’s hospitals.

The ​DUP health committee member said the patients were “occupying beds that ill people in overwhelmed Emergency Departments should be able to use”.

She said minister Mike Nesbitt “can't just shrug his shoulders” – arguing there is a legal obligation, reinforced in the 2011 Health and Social Care Act, to ‘provide or secure provision of health and social care services’.

“If there are not enough care beds or packages, the Minister can't just shrug his shoulders - he has a responsibility to provide them”, the DUP MLA said.

On Friday, the Department of Health (DoH) issued a statement saying that the health minister “is reminding the public that timely discharge from hospital is vital”.

It said that he had “witnessed first hand” just how under pressure services are.

Mr Nesbitt said: “During winter, pressure is added to our already stretched hospital services due to seasonal illnesses, and we all need to do our bit to help.

“We want to ensure we have hospital beds ready for those who require them as quickly as possible.

“Nobody wants a family member or loved one to spend lengthy periods waiting for a hospital bed, especially in the run up to Christmas.

“Unfortunately, if beds are not available, this is the reality.

“Staying in hospital longer than you need to can also lead to other health complications, such as hospital acquired infections. Timely discharge is better for patients and our hospitals.”

Mrs Dodds told the News Letter: “Our emergency departments are being impacted severely by bed blockages, with too many patients medically fit for discharge but unable to leave due to a lack of community or step-down provision.

“Until flow through hospitals improves, EDs will remain gridlocked no matter how hard staff work”.