Bed days lost over delayed discharge
DELAYED discharges is a huge factor causing overcrowding at Sligo University Hospital.
That’s according to Councillor Chris MacManus who said SUH had entered the hospital top ten for trolley figures in 2019 – “over 2,500 bed days lost due to delayed discharges is one of the reasons why.”
“Figures released to my office show that 2,372 bed days have been lost in Sligo University Hospital due to delayed discharges from January to November of last year and will see the figure surpass 2,500 by the end of 2019.
“It costs the health service €878 to run a hospital bed per day, so these bed days have cost SUH an estimated €2.2M just to keep patients - who can be discharged - unnecessarily in beds. That’s the price of a new permanent Cath Lab which though often announced and re-announced has yet to be delivered.
“Delayed discharge patients are clinically fit for discharge from hospital, but because of a lack of home help or a nursing home bed they can’t be discharged - this practice constitutes one biggest financial wastes in the health service and has cost the health service across that state nearly €600 million since 2016.
“Contrast this to the cost of home help hours which the HSE abetted by the Government have froze. One day delayed in hospital for a patient costs more than a month’s home help for that same patient. It makes no sense.
“On a human level delayed discharges are a huge factor in the trolley crisis and keeps sick patients from getting the hospital bed they need.
“It is also incredibly unfair on the patients stuck in hospital who are ready to be discharged. These patients should be given the home help they need so they can be discharged, or given a space in a step down facility or nursing home. That way these hospital beds can be used to get patients into SUH and off trolleys. It’s the least they deserve,” he said.
On Friday last the number of patients waiting on trolleys at the hospital was 20, 16 in the Emergency Department and four in other wards.
The weekly total was 94 which included 74 in the Emergency Department.
Sligo University Hospital has said it is sorry that any patient has to wait for admission to a hospital bed.
In reply to queries from The Sligo Champion in relation to trolley figures at SUH and how it is being addressed, a spokesperson from the Saolta Hospital Group said numbers attending the Emergency Department (ED) for care continues to increase year on year.
Some 25% of patients who attend the Emergency Department need to be admitted to hospital for further treatment and care.
The hospital also cited an aging population for its problems in accessing patient beds.
“The number of patients aged 75 and over presenting to ED and who need to be admitted to hospital for treatment has been rising year on year in line with changes in our population. Older patients may have more complex care requirements, are more likely to need to be admitted to hospital for treatment and will also have a longer length of stay in hospital,” a statement to The Sligo Champion detailed.
The hospital outlined how it is working towards reducing the number of patients who have to wait to be admitted to a ward, citing that it is working with colleagues in the community to enable patients to go home.
Asked how the hospital plans to address bed capacity, the spokesperson, Aoife Morrisey, referenced the planning permission for 46 beds.
“In terms of increasing the bed capacity, last year the hospital received planning permission for a 46 single room ward block which will address demand arising from increasing emergency attendances and admissions.
“The hospital will continue to work with HSE Estates and the National Acute Services to progress this project to the next stage, which is the detailed design phase and try to secure funding for this new build block.”
Also cited as helping to address patient exeperience within SUH, is the introduction of a number of initiatives, including a Frailty Intervention Team in the Emergency Department and Acute Assessment Unit, Discharge Lounge, Community Intervention Team and Advance Nurse Practitioner roles.