Care shortages 'leave healthy patients in hospital'

More than 40 people have not been discharged due to staff shortages

Healthy patients are spending up to four months in hospital because care shortages mean they cannot be discharged, a care federation has said.

The care staff problems are causing "bed-blocking" at Jersey's main hospital, the Jersey Care Federation (JCF) and the Jersey Care Commission (JCC) say.

More than 40 Jersey patients fit to be discharged at the start of the month could not leave because no suitable care was available, the government confirmed.

The government said it was looking to extend a licensing scheme to help care staff from other countries join the workforce.

But Cheryl Knealy, from the JCF, said the government needed to make it easier for staff to be recruited.

She said: "People that have been in hospital for four months because they can't find placement is an absolute crazy idea.

"Hospitals are for acute care, they are for unwell people, people that are medically fit should not still be in hospital."

The JCC said it expected staffing to be a long-term problem, and called for funding for 50 extra staff, to provide "appropriate levels of skilled carers in the island".

The government said that while the care firms are businesses it will do what it can to offer support in boosting the sector.

But the JCC said: "Our sector simply can't continue to absorb the entire cost of this essential work alone or pass any more costs onto our vulnerable clients.

"We know how to recruit the right people, and we have proven we are good at it, so please provide us with funding so that we can get on with it and, in turn, support the hospital."

The care sector said it needed the government to financially support it

The JCC's Chief Inspector Becky Sherrington said recruitment problems could get worse if they are not dealt with.

"It's not going to be a short-term problem recruiting nurses and other healthcare professionals it's likely to get worse, so we need to have much more focus on making sure we've got the right people in the right place," she said.

Malcolm Ferey, assistant minister for Health and Social Services, said the care companies were private businesses, but they would support financially where they could.

He said: "They provide a really important service, but they are a business, so of course we will work with and support in any way that we can, but ultimately they are businesses that do stand alone.

"Whilst we're really keen to work with them and make the transition for the patient's journey smoother, ultimately there is only so much that we can do as far as the monetary side of things go."

Mr Ferey said the government would extend the licensing scheme to allow more carers from other countries could join the workforce.