Is rehabilitation a solution to hospital discharge delays?

Recent data from NHS England show that inadequate access to rehabilitation is delaying medically fit patients from being discharged from hospital.1 These patients continue to occupy much needed beds, putting more pressure on an already stretched health system. Access to high quality and timely multi-professional rehabilitation services can serve as a cost effective intervention that should be available to all, to support the efficiency of the hospital discharge system and help patient recovery.Every day in August 2023 more than 2100 hospital beds in England were taken up unnecessarily by patients who were medically fit for discharge but couldn’t be released because of unmet rehabilitation needs.1 These unmet needs include patients waiting for community equipment, assistive technologies, adaptations to housing, or a decision from a therapist. Many were awaiting the availability of a rehabilitation bed in a community hospital or other setting.The rehabilitation and support services that patients need to support…
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