RCN warns of risks of unsafe discharge

The Royal College of Nursing has told the Commons’ Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee that dedicated discharge teams who ‘sweep around wards looking for beds’ increase the risk of unsafe discharge.

The news comes as the Commons’ Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee launched an investigation in response to a report by the Health Service Ombudsman which raised concerns over unsafe discharge from hospital.

The report cited examples where patients had been discharged when they were not well enough to leave or families had not been informed when vulnerable relatives were sent home.

Janet Davies, RCN chief executive, said: “When the focus of the whole organisation is on the people in that organisation – the patients and carers – then we don’t see that, we see really good discharge.

“When the focus is on beds rather than the person, that’s when we sometimes find those difficulties. When we have got discharge teams, for instance, that might sweep around the wards looking for beds because of the pressure at the front of the hospital.

“You can understand why people do that but actually it is the incorrect way of assessing people who are ready for discharge.”

Davies explained that mistakes where most likely to made when we have this culture of almost panic – we’ve got people coming in, we’re going to get penalised for the wait, we need to get people out’.

Jane Cummings, the chief nursing officer for England, also gave evidence to the committee.

She said: “Actually having people that are permanent members of staff working in teams has a much better outcome in terms of patient care, patient experience and staff experience.”