43% rise in emergency readmissions: Health visitors and merging budgets can help reverse worrying increase

Scottish Conservatives can reveal the number of emergency readmissions to hospital within 24 hours has risen 43% since 1999. There has also been a 7% rise in the total number of hospital stays.

We are proposing innovative solutions to tackle this worrying trend, such as

i) a £20m boost for health visiting

ii) Implementing the Sutherland Report recommendations and merging the health and social care budgets.

Nanette Milne MSP, Shadow Minister for Public Health, who uncovered the figures, said:

"These figures are a cause for concern. Despite Scottish Conservative commitment to protect the health budget, it is clear that such a huge rise in emergency readmissions over a few years will stretch resources to the limit.

"Of course a number of these cases will be emergencies that must be treated but we must do what we can to ease the burden. Scottish Conservatives are committed to a £20m boost for health visitors, which will be a real asset for families in trying to improve lifestyles and potentially reduce some of these readmissions.

"Most importantly however, we have also called for The Sutherland Report recommendations to be implemented – to merge the health and social care budgets. This would help to ensure continuity of care after hospital discharge, which is a hugely important factor in preventing any return to hospital.

"It is this type of forward thinking we need to enhance both the performance of our NHS and the wellbeing of patients."

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