Maria Caulfield MP welcomes news that constituents are set to benefit from one of six new and upgraded discharge lounges, including at Eastbourne DGH, which will speed up access to care and help cut urgent and emergency care waiting times.
The discharge lounges are backed by nearly £50 million of investment as part of plans to improve urgent and emergency care performance and cut waiting lists, with the South East receiving £2 million in funding. Four of the lounges are already open at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Kent, Frimley Park Hospital, Darent Valley Hospital in Kent, and Eastbourne District General Hospital. A further two lounges are set to open at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough and Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth.
Discharge lounges will speed up access to care in hospitals across the South East by providing an additional 77 beds, chairs and trolleys for patients that have received treatment and are awaiting discharge.
Maria Caulfield MP said “It is great news that Eastbourne District General Hospital is one of six hospitals in the South East to get a new discharge lounge, which will speed up access to care for local people in the Lewes constituency. The Conservative government is backing this with £50 million of funding including £2 million in the South East.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said “These new ambulance hubs and discharge lounges are another example of how we’re investing to cut waiting times – one of the government’s top five priorities. They are already benefitting tens of thousands of patients by freeing up beds and reducing the time for patients waiting to be admitted from A&E.
“The hubs will allow ambulances to manoeuvre more quickly and cut out unnecessary delays, and the lounges will free up hospital beds, while offering patients a more comfortable environment to recover in while they’re waiting to leave hospital. All of this is to ensure we can bring down waiting times and prepare for next winter.”
Health Minister Lord Markham said “Waiting times have already substantially reduced from the peak of winter pressures – but we know there is more to do, and we are investing record funding in health and care services to reduce waiting times and improve patient care.
“These new ambulance hubs will help free up ambulance crews to get back on the road more quickly and respond to emergencies, while expanded and upgraded discharge lounges will help free up hospital beds and cut A&E waiting times.”