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Variable discharge of older UK patients is “unacceptable,” say MPs

BMJ 2016; 354 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i4088 (Published 22 July 2016) Cite this as: BMJ 2016;354:i4088
  1. Gareth Iacobucci
  1. The BMJ

An influential committee of MPs has urged the UK government to take urgent action to tackle costly and damaging delays in discharging elderly patients from hospital. The House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts said that there was “unacceptable variation” in local performance on discharging patients aged 65 or over, which was bad for patients’ health and the financial sustainability of the NHS and local government.

In its report on the issue the committee advised the government to implement new measures that included improving on the currently poor level of sharing of patient information, which they considered a “significant barrier” to effective discharge.

“Patients and …

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