PLANS have been announced to reduce the time people spend in hospital and provide more care in the community.
Notts health chiefs pledged to get patients out of hospital beds within 24 hours after they had been declared medically fit and provide two weeks of paid care in community hospitals, care homes or the patients' own home.
At a Notts County Council health and wellbeing board meeting, doctors said that on 70,000 occasions last year, a bed was filled for a day at Nottingham's hospitals by someone who was medically fit, with people turning down care packages in the hope they were offered something better by social services, or not being able to go home and having no care arranged.
The Department of Health has given South Notts, which includes Rushcliffe, Broxtowe and the east of the county, £4.75 million to tackle extra pressures on the health service during the winter.
Dr Paul Oliver, a GP and clinical lead for Nottingham East Clinical Commissioning Group, said the current system was ''embarrassing'' and the move could help make a difference if it triggered a change from people thinking they had a right to be in hospital.
He said: "I think it's really embarrassing that the system allows this. In July, there were more than 700 people waiting for care packages or they had declined their care packages.
"This is really about my rights as an individual and my responsibilities to society. The responsibility to society overrides the personal rights. We should support this approach."
A pilot scheme is taking place at the city's hospitals, with over 100 patients having been moved into care more quickly.
Rob Heywood, director of operations for Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We know that patients recover from illness more fully and quicker if they are in the most suitable environment. When patients are very poorly, hospital is the best place. As patients become more medically stable, services in the community are very often the most appropriate, closer to patients' homes. This helps to keep services in the hospital available for the sickest patients and helps patients with their treatment and recovery after hospital care."
The new policy aims to reduce the pressure of increasing numbers of patients aged over 65 being admitted to hospital and staying there. One patient had stayed in hospital for 400 days while medically safe, according to Dr Oliver.
Councillor Joyce Bosnjak, chairman of the health and wellbeing board, said: "It's crucial that acute hospital bed places are made available for emergency patients, so we are giving extra support to hospitals to free up those places once older patients are fit to be discharged.''