Éidín Ní Shé: The real 'failure' is judging hospitals solely on how fast they discharge patients

When the rapidity of patient discharge is the only metric that matters, the often complex needs of those patients are no longer the priority, writes Éidín Ní Shé

Hospitals deemed to be ‘failing’ to discharge patients quickly may in fact be achieving better outcomes for their patients than their peers — but we don’t know if that is the case, as the sole metric remains speed of discharge.

Trolleys across Irish hospitals are a year-round challenge. The issue is complex, aligned to a lack of bed capacity right across the system, limited integration, and no access to a sustainable workforce to spread and scale up community and homecare supports.

We have now entered peak trolley season, commencing in November and continuing through to March each year. Its usual patterns align with a peak in January with record-breaking numbers of people on trolleys.