HEALTH

Unblocking the blocks

Reading has seen a 15% decrease in delayed discharges of care compared to last year. Seona Douglas outlines the key approaches she believes have made a difference.

One of the major myths around delayed transfers in care (or bed blocking as it is commonly known) is the question of whose delay it is. Who is on the list waiting to go home? How long have they been there? Whose responsibility is it to get them there? Is it the hospital ward or social care team who are responsible?

At the end of the day, does it really matter whose delay it is? In my experience, it does not. These are people like us: our relatives, our mothers, fathers, aunts. The absolute truth is that as a ‘system' we need to work together to enable these people get home and live as independent lives as they possibly can.

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