Care homes could be paid to free up hospital beds

As reported by The Guardian, Thérèse Coffey is considering transferring social care patients to care homes to free up hospital space

The new health secretary, Thérèse Coffey, aims to pay care homes to look after patients who unable to be discharged from hospitals due to lack of social care.

The scheme will tackle the overcrowding in NHS hospitals and free up to 13,000 beds for more patients in need.

“I will make sure that people can get doctors’ appointments and the NHS services they need. We will put our health service on a firm footing,” says Liz Truss.

The initiative is however dependent on the Treasury being willing to fund the project which, according to the Department of Health and Social Services, will amount up to several hundred million pounds. The funds are currently not available from the NHS or the DHSC.

Coffey also plans to implement increasing the reliance on pharmacists to treat minor ailments to alleviate pressures on GP surgeries through the NHS 111 telephone service.