Discharging older patients from hospital

In May 2016, the National Audit Office in the UK wrote a report on the Department of Health and discharging of older patients from hospital.

Their key findings included that 62% of hospital bed days were occupied by older patients (65+) in 2014-15, there was a 18% increase in emergency admissions of older people between 2010-11 and 2014-15 (greater than the whole population average increase) and that an estimated £820 million is spent in the UK National Health Service (NHS) on older patients in hospital beds who are no longer in need of acute treatment.

The report examines the efficacy of the health and social care system of managing the discharge of older patients from hospital.

This resource can be accessed here: https://www.nao.org.uk/report/discharging-older-patients-from-hospital/