Meeting of the Parliament 03 December 2014
I will deal with the leadership election outwith the chamber; that is a different matter. Let us deal with what we are dealing with in here.
The consequences are being felt everywhere. Accident and emergency departments are full, unable to cope with increased demand and expectations. Staff tell me that they are frazzled. There is a recruitment crisis and junior doctors are under huge pressure, looking after up to 100 beds while working hours that are far too long.
I know through my family and friends how skilled our NHS workforce is; I also recognise that, when people are admitted to hospital, the vast majority of the time they receive first-class treatment. However, the number of complaints is on the rise—it is up 23 per cent—as are staff complaints about bullying and intimidation, while whistleblowing procedures remain wholly inadequate. If it was not for the dedication and commitment of NHS staff, I fear that the system would be on its knees.
One of the biggest issues facing our health and social care system is delayed discharges. In 2011, the cabinet secretary at that time took action to reduce delayed discharges when the figure reached 200,000 bed days lost and said that the matter would be resolved. Now what do we see? Last year, we saw 421,000 bed days lost and patients stuck in hospital when they could have been at home—all at a cost of £78 million. That represents an abject failure of this Government’s stated policy of shifting the balance of care.
Last week, Theresa Fyffe of the RCN said:
“The figures published today on delayed discharges are further evidence that our NHS is under pressure ... One of the worrying aspects of the figures published today is that we’ve not yet hit the winter months. If this is happening over the summer months, what’s it going to be like in between December and February, when many more patients – particularly our most elderly and vulnerable - are admitted to hospital?”