Coronavirus: People 'well enough' to leave are being 'quickly' discharged from Queen Alexandra Hospital to make space for Covid-19 patients

Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham is making efforts to discharge people into care homes, community hospitals or back into patients’ own homes.

Patients will no longer get a choice of where they go. Such choice has previously led to discharge delays.

Care packages at home are set to be free ‘for a period of time’ during their recovery but they will then need to pay toward the cost.

A major stumbling block in hospitals’ capacity across Britain is getting patients discharged. It can be slowed down while a bed at a care home is found or a care package is arranged through a provider.

But now medics are urgently looking to clear space for when it is needed for people with Covid-19.

A statement for Portsmouth NHS Hospitals trust, which runs QA Hospital, said: ‘Please be aware that patients will not be offered a choice of where they will be discharged to and they will not be able to remain in hospital if they choose not to accept the care that is offered following discharge.

‘Our focus needs to be on freeing up as many hospital beds as quickly as possible whilst ensuring that patients are discharged safely and to the most appropriate place. We ask for your understanding and support as we do this.’

A staff member will discuss the process and transport arrangements with patients or with family, a friend or carer.

Firgures for February 24 to March 1 showed general and acute wards at the hospital were at 96.5 per cent capacity - higher than the recommended 85 per cent rate.

In that same week, Portsmouth Hospitals Trust was more than 92 per cent full every day.

On average, the trust had 1,047 beds available to use each day, including 38 escalation beds, which are used in emergencies and periods of high demand. Just 37 beds were free on an average day.

The QA statement said: 'Over the coming weeks the NHS needs to make sure it is able to support all those who will need hospital treatment as a result of coronavirus (Covid-19). To do this we need to organise the safe discharge of people who are well enough to leave hospital.

It added: ‘Patients who are well enough to leave hospital will either be discharged to their own home or to another place of care (such as a care home or community hospital).’

Hard-working carers are preparing to deal with the demands being placed on the sector to help the NHS clear hospital beds.

Verina Daly, who owns Verina Daly Care covering Waterlooville, Denmead, Hambledon and other places, said her 40-strong workforce are working hard.

She said: ‘The whole team is working hard.

‘We’re going into people out in the middle of nowhere, the district nurses aren’t going and the GPs aren’t going - we’ve picked up that slack.

‘We’re going to GPs and getting dressings and creams, so we can keep the (clients’) skins intact.

‘QA are discharging so many people in the next couple of days that one of our people is being discharged. So they’ve come out Monday, we’ve got to go in from teatime.

‘Ordinarily she probably would have stayed in there for a little bit longer but she’s not.’

Ms Daly added her team is ‘fully behind’ the hospital’s plans and is working to meet clients’ needs. She said: ‘We’re fully behind them because they have got to free up beds.

‘They can’t chuck out anyone who has coronavirus, the only ones who can are the ones that haven’t.’

Jennifer Daly, manager at Hartwell Lodge residential care home in Fareham, said the CCG has asked care homes for information on bed spaces and providers can share staff with the NHS.

She said: ‘We’ve had people in recently from QA and it’s just about being vigilant and it’s no different from having agency staff in when they’ve been exposed (to a disease) and not realised.’

Local CCG groups have contacted the private sector asking if they can help.

A Portsmouth CCG spokesman said: ‘Hard-working staff are doing everything to ensure we are prepared for a potential increase in patients due to the coronavirus, and this includes safely discharging patients who do not need to be in a hospital.

‘Discharged patients who need care at home will get that support.

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‘Our local health and care partners are working together to enable patients to leave​ hospital safely. That effort also involves asking our partners across the social care sector for support.

‘While the NHS is doing its part to meet the challenge posed by the coronavirus - the public must do theirs, people should be washing their hands for twenty seconds, social distancing, and avoiding essential travel to reduce the spread of the virus and help the NHS.’