PLANS TO DISCHARGE PATIENTS DRAWN UP

HEALTH bosses have outlined plans to empty two wards in preparation for the second wave of coronavirus.

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and other healthcare organisations have drawn up plans to discharge patients.

Acting chief executive Rebecca Brown told health chiefs the local health system is on alert level 3C but “what we are doing is taking level 4 action, which means our system is working night and day to help drive the discharge process”.

She said: “These are the more complex discharges we are looking at.

“There are a lot of patients sitting waiting for their plans to be confirmed and agreed and that could take up to seven days.

“What will be happening is that those patients wait in community hospitals.

“So we’re not talking about people discharged home without the right care or in a rush, this is about any patient in an acute hospital waiting in a more appropriate environment.

“We’re working with the county and city councils and the clinical commissioning groups to put that in place this week.”

Patients discharged to community hospitals or care or nursing homes will be tested before they are moved.