‘Medically fit for discharge’ does not mean ‘fit to go somewhere else’

[摘要] A recent analysis of official data by The Guardian claimed to show that on average, 13 600 beds in NHS hospitals across England are occupied every day by patients whom doctors say are ‘medically fit for discharge’ (MFFD).1People in government and managers in acute hospital trusts have jumped to the conclusion that these patients are ready to go home or to move to a care or nursing home, blaming the social care system for not providing the resources that patients need to make that transition. But their conclusion does not necessarily follow from the MFFD data.The problem is that the MFFD figures are based wholly on applying clinical criteria as set out in official guidance issued by the Department for Health and Social Care,2 that are all to do with the patient’s treatment and recovery.

[学科分类] 卫生学