Andrew Dismore

Andrew Dismore AM , Labour London Assembly member for Barnet  and Camden and parliamentary  candidate for Hendon questioned NHS chiefs over the problems due to  delaying the release of patents who are well enough to leave hospital, during a hearing before the London Assembly Health Committee on 22^nd January.

Mr Dismore said:

“A couple of weeks ago I visited the A and E department Barnet Hospital, to see how they are coping after the closure of Chase Farm’s A and E.

“Whilst the staff are doing a magnificent job in A and E  devising new systems to cope with demand, there is a bottle neck in the hospital, preventing patents moving to  the wards as quickly as they should, due to the problems the hospital is having in discharging patients who are well enough to move on.

“I was told this was in large part down to the local councils who are responsible  for the onward care through social services of these patients.  By the end of the Christmas holidays  a third of their beds were occupied by patents who should have been moved on. Whilst not all of this was due to the councils, a large proportion was.  I was told that the councils had effectively closed down for Christmas as far as organising onward care was concerned, and that it was almost impossible to organise a patient’s discharge even outside holiday periods after 4 pm as the council staff were not available. This is a serious problem that must be addressed particularly when the London wide figures are considered.

“Last year, no fewer than 134,056 bed days were lost due to patients remaining in hospital longer than they needed to. In Barnet borough the total bed days lost over the last two years is 13,918 but in Camden it is   less than a third of that, 4,545.

“In the 10 weeks from early November to mid January  at Barnet  Hospital the total was 622,  but none at all at UCLH.

“Whilst this is not all down to the local councils, 18% are due to the failure to complete the pre discharge assessments on time, 18% are due to awaiting a residential  home placement or availability, whilst just over 20% are due  to awaiting further NHS non acute care. And 3% are due to arguments between the hospitals and the councils.

“This is just not good enough. Barnet is ill-served by its three Conservative MPs who have allowed this situation to develop so badly.”