The NHS could save up to £1.7 billion a year if
hospitals and Primary Care Trusts treated more patients in the home, according
to a new report by Bupa - “Taking the Pressure Off”.
It says that up to 1.3 million patients staying
in hospital for conditions such as knee and hip replacements or infections
could be discharged from hospital sooner and get their treatment in the home.
The NHS could save over 14.5 million bed days a year, which could significantly
help ease capacity pressures and reduce waiting lists.
Dr Mehmood Syed of Bupa says, "Enormous savings
can be made by reducing the amount of time people spend in hospital. These
savings are made possible by the avoidance of overheads and accommodation
costs, which are incurred when maintaining patients unnecessarily in hospital
beds. We are calling for home healthcare to be a standard offer for all
patients in NHS care.”
Private medical insurance news: 30 November 2011
