Western Trust staff issue urgent plea to facilitate hospital discharges

Healthcare workers across the Western Health and Social Care Trust have issued a direct appeal to the public to assist in easing "severe pressure" on local hospitals by facilitating timely patient discharges.

The Trust warned that a significant number of beds are currently occupied by patients who are medically fit to leave but remain in hospital, creating a bottleneck that prevents seriously ill patients from being admitted. 

Our hospitals continue to be under severe pressure. We need to ensure beds are available for those who need care the most. Please Help Us to Help You by helping facilitate timely discharges. pic.twitter.com/44UsunfWUv

— Western Trust (@WesternHSCTrust) January 8, 2026

Western Health and Social Care Trust posted: “Our hospitals continue to be under severe pressure, and we need to ensure there are beds available for those who need care the most.

“If we can’t get people who no longer need to be in hospital out of hospital, then we can’t get seriously ill patients in.

“At present there are too many people in our hospitals who no longer need to be there. Unnecessary or prolonged hospital stays can have significant impact on your long-term recovery.

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“If you, or your loved one, are in hospital and are told by a doctor that you are medically optimised to be discharged, then we need you to work with us to get you home, or into an appropriate community care setting.

“Our staff have come together to ask for support and co-operation in helping ease the pressure on our front line services by facilitating timely discharges.”