Ulster Unionist MLA Robin Swann has expressed concern and surprise at the numbers of people being kept in hospital where no medical need exists.
The North Antrim representative said:
“Following some reports from hospital locally that bed-blocking was a significant issue in relation to trolley waits I asked the Health Minister for details of how many people are caught in this situation.
He replied that during February 2012, 15.6% (229) of patients with complex care needs waited longer than 48 hours to be discharged from an acute hospital setting following a decision to discharge and 4.1%
(618) of patients with non-complex care needs waited longer than 6 hours. Of these delays (both complex and non-complex), 112 waited longer than 7 days.
While there is a need to give community care providers time to put packages of care for those with complex needs, it is difficult to justify that 618 people stay in hospital more than 6 hrs after they no longer have a medical need and that 112 people have remained in hospital in February more than 7 days where there is no medical need.
While rightly efforts are being made to address issues in Emergency Departments, significant efforts must be made to end the system whereby acute hospital beds are being taken up by patients with no medical need to be there.”