Responding to Liberal Democrat research on delayed discharges from hospitals, Patricia Marquis, Executive Director of RCN England, said:
“Nobody should stay in hospital longer than they need to, but every day thousands remain on wards simply because the NHS can’t discharge them to where they can receive more appropriate care. This adds pressure across hospitals leaving patients waiting hours to be admitted and others being treated in corridors, doorways, and store cupboards.
“Politicians on all sides need to show they understand you can’t disentangle the NHS from social care. Pressures in one impact directly on the other and it is patients who suffer the consequences.
“In this election year, any party wanting to gain the trust of the public needs to show they have plans to resolve the crisis in social care. This must include funding for pay to attract and retain the trained nursing staff patients need.”
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