Care UK calls for more integration between health and social care following Dr Foster report

Care home provider Care UK has called for more integration between health and social care, in the wake of a report by hospital performance experts Dr Foster.

The research showed 29 per cent of hospital beds last year were taken up by people who didn't need acute care and could have been cared for in the community

The Dr Foster Annual Health Guide analysed NHS performance data and revealed many hospitals are under huge pressure from such a high number of patients with at least 12 trusts reporting death rates higher than expected.

Care UK' chief executive Mike Parish said: “A well commissioned social care service can help reduce hospital admissions by managing people’s health needs in their own homes or, where greater levels of nursing are involved, in residential care settings. This can save the NHS money – hospital beds are many times more expensive to provide than respite care in a nursing home. But equally importantly, it is a better solution for patients – no-one wants to be hospital unless it is absolutely necessary.”

Mr Parish highlighted work already being done by Care UK which has been contracted by NHS Sussex and Coastal West Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group to provide a healthcare rehabilitation service that dedicates 20 beds in its Darlington Court home, in Rustington to helping older people become strong enough to return home or to return to hospital fit enough to receive life-changing follow-up surgery.

The service ensures people can receive the right support and treatment to recover, recuperate and regain their strength and mobility in a homely environment until they are fit enough to return home.

“It provides a cost-effective alternative to a stay in an acute hospital and is also popular with people who do not need the intense medical environment of a hospital and who often find the more informal atmosphere, without restricted visiting hours, more relaxing and conducive to recovery,” he added.

Dr Peter Carter, RCN chief executive and general secretary, said the Dr Foster Annual Health Guide should be taken seriously by everyone in health care.

“It is of great concern that so many hospitals are operating close to capacity. What this reveals is a health care system under great strain. Nursing staff face increasing pressure with the nation’s health care needs becoming more numerous and complex, and making fewer staff and resources available is having a large impact on patient care.

“What this report highlights is the vital role that community care can play in easing the demand on hospitals through preventative health care, but this cannot happen without the proper resources. When the number of district nurses has been cut by a third in over ten years it is no surprise that so many hospitals are feeling the pressure.

“A new approach is needed to ensure patients who don’t need hospital care are treated properly in the community,” he said.

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