Western Trust appeals for public's help in freeing up hospital beds amid third wave of COVID-19

She appealed for people to work with the Trust as it tries to facilitate timely discharges from local hospitals.

"The first thing to stress is the importance of timely discharge. Generally, our patients and their families are very good when there is a simple discharge and that's really just about a person leaving our hospital and formally being discharged as soon as they are ready," said Mrs. Molloy.

Normally discharges are straightforward and simply involve patients being transported home as soon as they are able to leave hospital.

However, some are more complicated.


"The more complex discharges from our hospitals do require a lot of attention and within that framework we have the need sometimes to prepare a package of care or even a transfer to, or back, to a nursing home.

"I just want to stress the importance during this period of families helping us, either by accepting the first available care home placement that is suitable for their loved one rather than the one they would prefer and to accept that on a temporary basis, or to help us by providing care in the home to their loved one instead of waiting for perhaps part of a domiciliary care package to be perhaps finally fulfilled," Mrs. Molloy appealed.


"We would be very grateful for all the support and help that our local population can give us in ensuring timely discharge, particularly of our patients who are more complex and need more support at home or in a care home," she added.