ERI 'won't be a comfortable place for patients this winter'

Published on Thursday 24 September 2009 09:19

THE Edinburgh Royal Infirmary "will not be a comfortable place" come winter unless councils can sort out care home places for bed-blocking patients, the NHS has warned.

New figures reveal the number of "delayed discharges" in the Lothians is now the highest it has been in almost a year. And the health board's chief executive, James Barbour, said that the Lothian councils – particularly East Lothian – had to come up with a solution to stop residents languishing in hospital when they were fit to leave but had nowhere to go.

Although the issue already causes hospitals such as the ERI major problems in finding enough beds, this is set to only get worse once the winter hits and brings with it both seasonal problems and possible swine flu.

Mr Barbour said: "This (the ERI] will not be a comfortable place to be come winter if we can't make best use of the beds we have. It is an issue that has been around for a long time. We know that we are in the run-up to winter and we expect an increased pressure in services with pandemic flu.

"It is imperative that (East Lothian] council colleagues understand that pressure. We need to see an absolute commitment to address this."

East Lothian currently accounts for 31 delayed discharge patients, a huge proportion given its small population, while Edinburgh is to blame for 62.

It is a major problem for health chiefs, not only due to the pressure it puts on bed capacity, but it is NHS Lothian that has to foot the bill for a problem caused by the councils. The main reasons for delayed discharges are a lack of care home space or delays in carrying out social care assessments.

Council chiefs in East Lothian were buying care home places in Edinburgh to ease the problem, but due to the expense and reluctance of some elderly people to relocate to the Capital that has been stopped.

There is already some anxiety within the health board about how the ERI will cope in the event of a flu pandemic this winter, and with 100 bed blockers in the system, this concern is compounded.

NHS Lothian vice-chairman Eddie Egan added: "This is a local government responsibility. They are becoming increasingly dependent on our hospitals when they shouldn't be there."

Coucillor Iain Whyte, who is the chairman of the East Lothian Community Health Partnership, said he was working closely with council colleagues to solve the problem.

He explained that restrictions placed on the area by the Care Commission meant only a certain number of people could be admitted into care homes every month.

Problems have also been exacerbated by the closure of Cockenzie Nursing Home last year and the widespread criticism of Tranent Nursing Home.

"I've asked the council to look again at buying care home places in Edinburgh but they were not of the view this was worthwhile," he added.

"The trouble we have is that with the best will in the world someone from Dunbar or North Berwick simply doesn't want to make their home in Edinburgh away from their relatives and friends.

"We are working hard to address this problem."