A British Red Cross service, which has assisted with the discharge of almost 4,500 patients from Craigavon and Daisy Hill Hospitals since 2021 will be discontinued later this year.
The Red Cross has helped transport patients directly from hospital to homes, nursing homes or other temporary accommodations they may be living in those three years.
They have also assisted people by delivering equipment needed for them to live independently, such as commodes, toilet frames, perching stools and other small pieces of equipment, and have helped alleviate the bed blocking situation by delivering medicines to the patients later on in the day after the pharmacy have dispensed them.
This service has assisted in discharging 4,338 people from Craigavon, Daisy Hill, South Tyrone and Lurgan hospitals.
There are fears that the removal of this service will have an impact on those patients struggling to get home; thus burdening the bed situation in hospitals – not to mention the loss of jobs within the Red Cross service.
A spokesperson for the Southern Trust told Armagh I: “The Southern Health and Social Care Trust have been working in partnership with British Red Cross since 2021, to provide support and transport to patients who are being discharged from hospital to home.
“The Trust has never received funding for this service and regrettably, due to financial pressures, which are being faced right across health and social care in Northern Ireland, we can no longer sustain this additional cost from November 1, 2024.
“We ask families, where they can, to support with discharge as soon as their loved one is medically fit, including providing transport where possible. We would also ask patients to accept alternative care arrangements or in some cases a care home placement, while waiting for a preferred longer term option.
“We are appealing for the public to work with us, to ensure that we have room to care for the sickest patients, to ensure they get the care they need.
“We would take this opportunity to stress that it is essential that patients leave hospital as soon as they are medically fit. Research shows that an extended hospital stay can cause deconditioning, reduce independence, increase the risk of confusion, as well as lead to falls and exposure to infection.
“We ask patients and families to please work with our fantastic multidisciplinary teams to maximise the patients recovery and facilitate a timely discharge. We absolutely understand that each family will have different circumstances. Our Social Work team are available for advice and support on discharge options should this be required.”
