Hospitals in £17m cuts to stop re-admissions
Hospitals in the Black Country and Staffordshire face having more than £17 million cut from their budgets. Under new rules, they will no longer be paid for treating patients if they are re-admitted within 30 days as an emergency.
Hospitals in the Black Country and Staffordshire face having more than £17 million cut from their budgets. Under new rules, they will no longer be paid for treating patients if they are re-admitted within 30 days as an emergency.
Between 1998 and 2008 the NHS saw a 50 per cent rise in the number of patients re-admitted as an emergency within 30 days.
To stop hospitals prematurely sending people home, the Government announced in April that it would no longer pay hospitals for treating of such patients.
Now a study by SG2 Health Care Intelligence has examined the potential losses each hospital could face.
Stafford Hospital had 2,519 emergency re-admissions, meaning it could lose a total of more than £2 million.
According to the study, the worst-hit hospital in the Black Country will be Sandwell and West Birmingham Trust, which will lose £5.6m based on 7,526 emergency re-admissions in 2009-10.
Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital has been estimated to lose £3.7m based on 4,044 emergency re-admissions. The hospital says the number is closer to £1.4m in lost income.
According to the study, Walsall Manor Hospital will see a loss of £2.8m based on 3,139 re-admissions, while the Dudley Group of Hospitals will lose £3.4m based on 4,583 re-admissions.
