Plea as patients to be discharged before lunchtime

The "home for my lunch" campaign has been set up by the local NHS

Hospitals in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are urging families and friends of patients to be ready for them to be discharged during the mornings, as winter approaches.

The local NHS said leaving hospital before midday had "significant benefits" for patients and helped "reduce pressures on the hospitals and staff".

Loved ones are being called upon to take people home or arrange transport, and to prepare their homes with the heating on and food in the cupboard.

Chief nurse Carol Anderson said: "Staying in a hospital bed longer than you need can put you at risk and has a significant negative impact on your mental and physical wellbeing.

"The knock-on effect of delayed discharge of patients also impacts the whole of our local health system."

Hospitals across Cambridgeshire are urging loved ones of patients to help them

NHS research shows a prolonged stay in a hospital bed can have a significant negative impact on someone's health.

For patients over the age of 80, it says a week in bed can lead to 10 years of muscle ageing, with a greater risk of contracting in-ward viruses and infections.

Ms Anderson said: "Our priority is to help patients get better and support them to leave hospital when the time is right and it's safe to do so.

"Family and friends can help us get them home by making sure they can provide or arrange transport home, stocking up their fridge, popping the heating on and making sure their loved one has got everything they need to continue their recovery."