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11 Donegal patients "stuck" in
hospital over Easter
23.04.14
ELEVEN patients were
"stuck" in Letterkenny General Hospital over Easter
at an estimated cost of about €8,000 per night
despite being cleared to leave by a senior doctor, a
home care group has claimed.
Home and Community Care Ireland (HCCI) said the
majority of the delayed discharges involved elderly
patients over 65 who could not leave as alternative
arrangements had not been put in place.
Quoting HSE figures, the group estimated that the
eleven delayed discharges at LGH cost the equivalent
of 419 hours of home care.
It said delayed discharges are at a five-month high
nationally with over 635 patients - at a cost of
€508,000 - "stuck in hospital as they await a home
care package, home help, approval for nursing home
care under the Fair Deal scheme or access to HSE
rehabilitation equipment and facilities". |
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Letterkenny Hospital. |
HCCI chair Michael
Harty described it as a waste and said he was
"appalled" particularly since that the public health
budget required an additional €199m in funding this
year.
"Immediate government action is required to ensure
that those most in need in our communities - our
elderly - can access appropriate funding and return
home from hospital as soon as they are fit do so,"
said Mr Harty.
"The structural separation of one type of care from
another, as well as increased home care funding to
enable faster discharges, could save millions
annually and allow much needed frontline resources
to be reallocated to where they are really needed.
"Most importantly, it could also help the elderly in
our community to live longer at home and prevent
unnecessary admission in the first place," he added. |
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