NHS Tayside has denied claims that elderly patients are being sent home from Tayside hospitals because of a shortage of staff cover at weekends, although it did admit that the level of activity scales down on Saturdays and Sundays.
Stewart Ellis of Monifieth expressed concern that, according to nursing staff on a radio phone-in, elderly patients are being discharged early because hospitals do not have the staff to cover weekend work in certain wards.
”What is happening to the old-fashioned duty of care that is a prerequisite of national health care?” he asked.
An NHS Tayside spokesman said: ”All patients are individually assessed by a doctor to ensure they are medically fit to be discharged from hospital.
”As part of the discharge process ward staff work closely with members of the multi-disciplinary team involved in the patient’s care, including social care colleagues, to ensure that the necessary support is in place before the patient is discharged.
”The bed numbers in some surgical wards are reduced at weekends as planned surgery does not take place on Saturday or Sunday.
”Due to this some wards are closed over the weekend. This bed reduction reflects the service model of these surgical specialties and is based on occupancy trends for elective admissions not in response to staffing levels. General medical wards at Ninewells Hospital do not close at the weekend.”