Data from the 8th edition of the Social Admissions Barometer (BIS), released today at a public session at the Northern Rehabilitation Center in Valadares, reveals that on March 20, 2,164 beds in public hospitals were occupied by social admissions, 11% more than in the same period of 2023, with a cost of more than 68 million euros for the State.

Speaking to Lusa at the end of the public session, APAH president Xavier Barreto said he viewed this increase "with great concern".

"We have 11% of the beds in acute hospitals of the National Health Service occupied by patients who should not be there. This is a fact that should alarm us all because of the impact it has on patients from the outset," he stressed.

Xavier Barreto said it is important not to forget that "many of these patients who are inappropriately hospitalized stay in the hospital for months waiting for a response from a home, from a vacancy in the continuing care network".

"I do not know if people are aware of the drama that this is, because these patients have already had their clinical problem solved, but they still have some difficulties, for example, in their autonomy, which forces them to wait for a response and while they wait for their response, many no longer leave the hospital and this is what we must immediately alarm everyone," he said.

Between March 2023 and March this year, 378,068 days of inappropriate hospitalization were recorded (13% more) due to lack of response from the National Network of Integrated Continuing Care (RNCCI) and Residential Structures for the Elderly (ERPI).

Xavier Barreto said it is urgent to implement the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) which provides for the creation of 5,500 continuing care beds, which he said "are urgent" to be able to respond to patients.

"Almost two years have passed since the beginning of the implementation of the PRR and we have no information (...) in this specific investment", he lamented.

The hospital administrator also warned of the "very significant impact" of social admissions in hospitals, considering that "if the beds are occupied by these patients, they will not be enough for, for example, surgical patients who are admitted from the emergency department".

"When we sometimes say that the emergency department is congested, that it has dozens of patients waiting" this happens because "the beds where they should go are occupied by other patients who should not be there", he added.

To combat this problem, Xavier Barreto argued that it is necessary to improve the articulation between the health and social security sectors, but also to increase the capacity of the RNCCI and homes.

He also pointed out support for families and informal caregivers as "a fundamental issue", arguing that they should be trained and in many cases financially supported so that they can take their family member home.

"Many do not have the income to meet the need to care for a father or a family member who is in need at a certain time" of their support.

For Xavier Barreto, this situation is the result of policies that have been followed in recent years and that "have not properly addressed this issue".

Read Also: Social admissions increased by 11% and cost the State 68 million (Portuguese version)