NHS Confederation: hospital care "must change"

Reducing hospital stays is right for some patients

The NHS in England must end "hospital-or-bust" attitude to medical care, says the organization representing health service trusts.
At least one in four patients would be better treated by the NHS staff at home, the figures suggest.
2012 will be a key year for the NHS as it tries to make 20 billion pounds of savings by 2015, according to the head of the NHS Confederation, Mike Farrar.
Ministers say the modernization of the NHS safeguarding its future.
Mr. Farrar said: "Hospitals are vital, but we rely on them for some services could be provided elsewhere.
"We should focus on reducing hospital stays where it is good for patients, transfer of resources in community services, raise the level of general practice, and promote early intervention and self-care."There is value for money-argument to this, but it's not just about money and the public must be told that -. This is the construction of an NHS for the future "
Mr. Farrar said that the necessary changes include the treatment of vulnerable people in their homes, and minimizing hospital stays possible.
Politicians and leaders of the NHS must show the public how these changes could improve care, rather than focusing on concerns about the closure of hospital services, he added.
"Many of our hospitals know that they treat patients in their beds on a given day could be treated better - with better results for themselves and their families - if they were treated outside of hospitals or community care primary, "he told Today's program on BBC Radio 4."Default location"
Mr. Farrar said today that people were accustomed to "the hospital is a place of default" and that the services of primary health care and community have sometimes been under-funded.
But he said, even if clinicians knew that better care could be provided outside hospitals, and politicians have accepted that individuals privately, the public debate had not helped to understand this.
"We need politicians and clinicians to keep up with one voice to explain these changes," he said.
"I think the time has come to a real political courage on all sides to stand up and say" if the evidence is clear that my constituents will get better results because they travel a little further, "or that" if we can release the cost of these beds to make services available in your own home "- then it's the right thing to do."
Commenting on New Year's message from the NHS Confederation, Health Minister Simon Burns said in a statement: "Modernising the NHS is both to preserve the future of our health services, and provide world-class service puts patients at the heart of everything it does. "
The President of the Forum of NHS independent future, Steve Field, said: "The old hospital system must evolve towards a more preventive, community-based system."New! Above the words Click to view alternate translations. DismissGoogle Translate for Business: Translator ToolkitWebsite TranslatorGlobal Market Finde