NHS guilty of ridiculous waste of resources and could improve care without spending a penny more, top medic says. (Blogger: On personal experience alone, I know this article to be true. But bed-blocking does not just arise from the reasons below.)
The NHS is guilty of a “ridiculous waste of resources” - and could improve care without spending a penny more, it’s most senior doctor says.
Prof Keith Willett, medical director for acute care, urged medics to stop “fuming” when the system “grinds to a halt” and instead do more to prevent beds being blocked by patients who should have been discharged.
He said too many surgeons were left unable to operate - sometimes on a daily basis - because of a failure to tackle bedblocking, with beds filled by those unable to be discharged for want of help at home.
Writing for The Daily Telegraph, the senior surgeon said that too often, the system had stopped functioning even before the first patient arrives...