The phrase ‘bed-blocking’ is currently bandied around in the media as people try to make sense of increasingly long A&E waiting times and surgery cancellations.
When you stop to think about this phrase, it conjures up images of people (probably elderly) refusing to leave their hospital bed. This is despite being well enough to leave.
That’s not the experience of people who are delayed from being discharged from hospital. People want to live in their own homes, in their own communities; not in a ward. ‘Bed blocking’ puts the responsibility onto individuals who have no choice, whereas the problem lies with the system.
When someone is clinically ready to be discharged from hospital, they are likely to experience significant delays to any community-based service being available due to system failings. Despite good providers like Carr Gomm being willing and able to provide the support, commissioned services often lack contractual flexibility; the Scottish Government’s Adult Social Care Wage is insufficient; and the system’s timelines for creating capacity often do not align with the person’s timelines for going home.
People aren’t blocking beds; people are being caught in a system which prevents them from leaving.
But this isn’t the whole picture.
In Carr Gomm we have developed services which work with hospitals, local authorities, agencies and community networks to ensure people can return home safely with great support in place for them. Not only this, but we work with people, promoting their independence and choice in their recovery so they can live at home and not face a preventable stay in hospital.
We want to see more services like this, so that more people can access person-centred support which enables them to live their best possible lives. This is why Carr Gomm is sharing our 25 years’ experience to influence the development of the National Care Service.
Read more about these innovative Carr Gomm services in our report: