LinCA’s response to the latest £250 million NHS funding to speed up hospital discharges

Melanie Weatherley MBE, chair of Lincolnshire Care Association (LinCA), responds to the Department of Health and Social Care’s latest funding announcement, promising to speed up the hospital discharge process across the UK.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay, claims the additional funding will provide the NHS with ‘thousands of extra beds in care homes and other settings to help discharge more patients who are fit to leave hospital.’

Although the announcement comes as a welcome addition for the sector, as a county, Lincolnshire has already been providing a number of beds in care homes for hospital discharge patients.

Melanie said: “It’s encouraging to see the NHS getting the funding it desperately needs to ensure patients are discharged on time, despite the tough financial stresses we are all living with.

We’re ready, and we’ve got the beds we need to make sure we work even more closely with NHS and Lincolnshire County Council commissioners to ensure the smooth and timely discharge of patients. Lincolnshire Care Providers are willing and able to accept discharges to support this initiative.”

LinCA represents care and support providers in both the independent and voluntary sectors. The UK adult social care sector supports some of the most vulnerable people in society, and

LinCA works closely alongside care providers across Lincolnshire by supporting their delivery of effective services and ensuring a sustainable choice of quality care provisions.

Find out more about LinCA at: www.linca.org.uk. You can find out more about the latest government announcement, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/up-to-250-million-to-speed-up-hospital-discharge