31.07.12
Fewer hospital admissions in Wales for chronic conditions
Wales is making “significant strides” in dealing with chronic conditions in the community and outside of hospital settings, with new research showing a 12% fall in chronic admissions.
The figures, which apply to admissions arising from respiratory conditions, heart disease and diabetes, are included in the first annual report by chief executive of NHS Wales, David Sissling.
The report also shows a year-on-year drop of 23% in emergency readmissions relating to chronic conditions to 23,000.
Sissling said: “The NHS has made significant strides in reducing hospital admissions for chronic conditions.
“These reductions illustrate two important developments – the improved treatment of once-fatal diseases through better care – often in community settings – and because of that, less reliance on hospitals for the treatment of these conditions.”
The report, published today, was written anticipating the upcoming consultations that Welsh health boards will be conducting to improve their services.
Many organisations have been awaiting the report after some of its findings were announced early in a press release. Plaid Cymru praised the findings of the research, saying that it shows that good healthcare is rooted in communities.
However, a spokesperson for the party also voiced concern about the risks of moving too many core services out of hospitals: “Taking services away from hospitals without replacing them elsewhere in the community does not equate to better care, and we have always been clear that this cannot be allowed to happen as services are reconfigured.”
Diabetes UK Cymru has warned of dwindling numbers of diabetes nurses and dieticians, and is very interested in how Sissling’s findings reflect their concerns about diabetes treatment across NHS Wales.
Ahead of the publication of the report, director of Diabetes UK Cymru Dai Williams said: “The claims…are remarkable if they can be substantiated.
“Even if the number of people being treated for diabetes in hospital is dropping, the key is the quality of care that people receive.”
View the report here: http://wales.gov.uk/docs/dhss/publications/120731chiefexecannualreporten.pdf
Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]