‘Distressing readmissions’ being faced by NHS patients

Watchdog Healthwatch has reported that the number of patients being readmitted to hospital within 30 days of being discharged has risen in England by nearly 25 per cent in the last four years.

Although NHS England have said that it is impossible to know why this is happening, The watchdog have warned that patients may be being rushed out too soon or that there may be insufficient support in the community to care for them.

Healthwatch England’s Imelda Redmond said “some big questions” had been raised from the analysis.

“With health and care services being expected to each free up 1,250 beds through reducing delayed discharges, it is vital that these services also watch what is happening to the people being sent home from hospital.

“It’s clear that health and care leaders need to take a closer look at why people are returning to hospital so quickly.”

A spokesperson from NHS England has said “Current data makes it impossible to distinguish between genuinely unforeseeable emergency readmissions and readmissions that would not be surprising to clinicians.

“We agree that it would be useful for NHS Digital to look at these data more routinely – and will be asking them to consider doing so.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Paralegal, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (karenmotley@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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