Lamb: Sharp rise in emergency readmissions to hospital

10.14.00am GMT Thu 30th Oct 2008

Norman Lamb branded the sharp rise in hospital readmissions as a "false economy" in the health service. Figures highlighted by the Liberal Democrats show that emergency readmissions for patients aged 16 and over have risen by almost a fifth since 2003.

Norman Lamb blamed the culture of targets saying: "the Government's push to achieve its waiting time targets, coupled with overcrowding in hospitals, risks compromising patients' safety."

The figures, revealed in answer to a Parliamentary Question, showed that: One in seven elderly patients (14%) were readmitted as an emergency case within 28 days of discharge from hospital in 2006-07 Since 2003, the proportion of emergency readmissions has risen by almost one fifth (19%) for patients aged 16 and over The proportion of emergency readmissions for patients under 16 has risen by 10%

You can read the Parliamentary answer here.

Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, went on to say:

"These figures show what can happen when targets get in the way of clinical priorities. Doctors are being put under huge pressure to cut the length of time that people stay in hospital to meet top-down targets.

"It is a false economy and poor practice to send people home too soon, only to have them readmitted days later."