Commenting on today’s Committee report, which highlights that keeping patients in hospital when they are ready to be discharged can be damaging to their health, Theresa Fyffe, Director of RCN Scotland, said:
“It is unacceptable for people to be kept in hospital unnecessarily and is completely at odds with the Scottish Government’s vision of safe, high quality care at home or in a homely setting. More must be done to improve the resources in our communities.
“The Committee highlights the importance of district nursing teams in helping those in hospital return home safely and quickly and preventing hospital admissions in the first place. The Scottish Government must now set out the investment required to grow the district nursing workforce in Scotland’s communities.
“Scotland’s care homes are struggling to recruit the nursing staff required to ensure they can meet the needs of those who are well enough to be discharged from hospital but continue to require clinical care.
“Scottish Government must do more to addresses these workforce challenges and ensure Integration Authorities and NHS Boards have the resources they need.”
