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Return to Mender - Thousands of sick Brits are going back to A&E after being sent home too early
Posted on 1/06/2018 by
Readmissions within 30 days for patients with preventable conditions such pneumonia and bedsores are up 41 per cent
SOARING numbers of Brits are returning to hospital A&E units still sick after being released too early, a report says.
Readmissions within 30 days for patients with preventable conditions including pneumonia and bedsores are up 41 per cent in six years.
The figure has rocketed from 130,000 in 2010/2011 to 184,000 in 2016/17, revealed the report by independent health think-tank The Nuffield Trust.
Spokesman Chris Sherlaw-Johnson said an ageing population, poor care and staff shortages were also behind the rise.
Joyce Robins, of Patient Concern, said: “There is no point throwing patients out if they are going to come back in a few days with things that are already wrong with them.”
The Royal College of Nursing said the figures reflected 40,000 nurse vacancies while Age UK blamed cuts to social care.
An Edinburgh University report said unplanned hospital readmissions cost the NHS in England £2billion a year.
The Department of Health and Social Care said the government had committed to a long-term plan to manage patient demand.
Source: TheSun