‘Wash, feed and dress your loved ones when they leave hospital’
FAMILIES are being asked to care for relatives being discharged from hospital because of staff shortages in social care.
Health chiefs are urging people to ‘help where necessary’ with dressing, cooking and cleaning if a loved one is being sent home.
It comes as staffing pressures at NHS Lanarkshire lead to ‘challenges meeting care needs’.
Marianne Hayward, programme director for ‘discharge without delay’, said: ‘We are appealing for families and carers – particularly of those coming out of hospital – to be as flexible, responsive and supportive as possible at this time.’
Miss Hayward added: ‘Pressures are particularly pronounced in our three acute sites, University Hospitals Hairmyres, Wishaw and Monklands.
‘Despite the challenges on the system, patients will only go home when it is safe to do so. This means our hospital teams have assessed them as being medically stable.
‘Ongoing support will depend on needs of the individual and hospital teams will assess and discuss with patients and their families what this will look like and arrange the services accordingly.
‘To help us reduce ongoing strain on resources and focus on the most medically unwell, we may ask for the public’s help, for family, carers and friends of someone in need of care at home to help out. Tasks may include dressing, cleaning and cooking.’
A letter has been given to hospital patients and their relatives, setting out the issues and outlining options for those who need care after a hospital stay.
Miss Hayward said: ‘The letter explains current pressures mean there are challenges in meeting care needs across the area and also reiterates that, following an assessment of needs, our teams will work with patients to ensure they have a safe level of care. Overall, the crucial point is that we are asking for flexibility and support to help achieve a safe and appropriate discharge.’
With health boards across Scotland under strain, last month NHS Lanarkshire issued warnings to people not to come to A&E unless their condition was life-threatening amid tenhour waits in the department.
In January, it suspended some of its GP services for four weeks, focusing only on the most urgent and time-critical care.
Scottish Tory public health spokesman Sue Webber said: ‘This once again highlights the overwhelming pressure NHS Lanarkshire continues to be under. Clearly the situation for frontline staff and patients simply hasn’t improved.
‘This may further stretch families who simply don’t have the time and resources to support their relatives.
‘These measures highlight the failure of the SNP to fully fund our local social care services.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘The pandemic has seen our NHS under the most severe pressure in its 73-year existence. We continue to work closely with our health board colleagues and are monitoring the situation closely.’