NHS to buy care beds to make space in hospitals
Innovation in action, the second story in Hinterland this time pointing to the pivotal role of social care in our current travails…
Thousands of NHS patients in England will be moved into care homes as part of the government’s plan to ease unprecedented pressure on hospitals.
The NHS is being given £250m to buy thousands of beds in care homes and upgrade hospitals amid a winter crisis.
The move aims to free up hospital beds so patients can be admitted more quickly from A&E to hospital wards.
Labour’s shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, said the announcement was “another sticking plaster”.
The plans will be included in an emergency package to be unveiled by Health Secretary Steve Barclay.
Later in the day, Mr Barclay will outline a series of measures to address pressures on the NHS, including long waits for emergency care and delays to discharging patients who are medically fit to leave hospital.