NHS England and NHS Improvement launched plans to reduce long staying patients in hospital by a quarter to ease pressures before winter.
Simon Stevens and Ian Dalton, Chief Executives of NHS England and NHS Improvement, announced the joint plans to improve patient care and at the NHS Confederation conference.
Prof Karen Middleton, chief executive of the CSP, said:
‘The CSP is really pleased to see this report as unnecessary prolonged stays in hospital have unintended but traumatic and costly consequences for patients, their families and the system at large.
‘If the variation in length of stay is to reduce through optimum discharge, there has to be a focus and investment on rehabilitation, both in hospitals but particularly in the community. This will not only assist with speedier discharge but also prevent admission in the first place as people will be better equipped to manage their own condition.
‘Prevention has to be the prize for all and physiotherapy has a significant part to play; for example, if every older person who was at risk of falling was referred to physiotherapy, 160,000 falls would be prevented, saving the NHS £250 million every year.
‘The success of this plan will rely on joint work across health and social care accompanied by the investment in staff and services necessary to deliver it on the frontline.’
Read the NHS England announcement here.
Note to editors
For further media information about the CSP please call the CSP press office on 020 7306 1111 or email pressoffice@csp.org.uk. Out of hours please call Jon Ryan, head of press and PR on 07917 091 200.
1. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy is the UK’s professional, educational and trade union body. We have more than 52,000 members, including chartered physiotherapists, physiotherapy students and support workers.
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