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Health Services: Older People

Asked by Martin WrigleyLiberal DemocratDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 15 June 2026UIN 5511

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what safeguards are in place to ensure continuity of care for older people and patients with complex needs during the transition of services from secondary to primary and community care settings.

Answered by Karin Smyth

Enabling people to be discharged from hospital more quickly with the right care and support contributes to speedier recovery and better outcomes for patients and helps prevent loss of independence.

To support this, every acute hospital has access to a multidisciplinary care transfer hub to manage the discharge of people with more complex needs. These teams work together to plan a person’s discharge, so their health, care, and housing needs are all considered, and the right support is in place when they leave hospital.

Our 10-Year Health Plan will ensure that people with complex needs are supported to be active participants in their own care. As part of this, 95% of people with complex needs or long-term conditions will have an agreed personalised care plan by 2027.

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