A LUDLOW based health campaigner says that until problems with a lack of people working in social care is tackled, the crisis in the NHS cannot be resolved but this will not be a cure all and more needs doing in other areas.

Gill George, an ‘Advertiser’ columnist and chair of the Defend our NHS in Shropshire group, says that large numbers of people who could be out of hospital with support, are taking up beds.

“The problem is ‘flow,’ said Ms George.

“Every single day in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin around 150 patients can’t be discharged from hospital because there’s no social care available for them.

“This means the whole system ends up in gridlock: A&E is full because patients can’t be moved into beds, ambulances queue up outside because A&E can’t admit patients, and of course those ambulances are not available to respond to emergencies.

“The nearest thing we’ve got to a quick fix, then, is investment in social care to support hospital discharge.

“If we get patients out of hospital when they’re ready, we can start to get movement through the system and ambulances back on the road and answering emergency calls. There’s a growing understanding nationally that this is the way to go.”

However, Ms George said that whilst this is important it is only one of the problems that needs to be addressed.

“Of course this wouldn’t sort all the other problems we’ve got in the NHS in Shropshire, the lack of funding, the staff shortages, not having enough beds,” she added.

“We’d like to see a CQC inquiry into those things and some long-term solutions. But, and this is important, we urgently need government funding put into social care to get patients discharged from hospital safely.

“This is the cheapest and fastest way of getting ambulances back on the road, and if we can make this happen, it will save lives.”