Publication details
Prospective audit of delayed discharges
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2004 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | It is well recognised that delays in discharge, from acute wards, occur in all hospital specialties, especially the elderly (with aging population an increased pressure on health care resources will be seen in most countries). These delays apart from economic consequences, increase probabilities to get nosocomial infections, and prolong surgical waiting lists. Studies have shown that these delays have a significant effect on hospital costs. Approximately 9% of all admissions to the acute hospitals ended up in a formal report as bed-blockers. Over 4,000 elderly people who are fit to leave hospitals in England are blocking beds on a daily basis. According to the National Audit Office report 'Ensuring the Effective Discharge of Older Patients from NHS Acute Hospitals', on any given day more than 4,000 patients over the age of 75 are ready to leave hospital but are unable to due to a variety of reasons. A total of 227 patients were included in the study. 32,6 % (74) of the study population (227) experienced a delay in discharge and from those 39 female and 35 male with a mean age of 67.5 years. 48 patients were emergency surgery and 26 elective surgery. |