NHS hospital sparks outrage after staff are promised chocolate ‘Easter gifts’ to patients quickly discharged
An NHS hospital has sparked outrage after giving medical teams chocolate prizes to patients who are quickly discharged from hospital.
NHS bosses have urged all hospitals to make beds available before the Easter break and junior doctors strike.
But one hospital had to apologize after giving out boxes of chocolates to those who were the fastest to send patients home.
The University Hospitals Portsmouth NHS Trust has promised ‘Easter gifts’ every day to the fastest teams.
A newsletter released on Friday said: ‘The Trust has launched a Home for Easter campaign asking colleagues to ensure patients are released in time to free up bed space over the Easter period and in preparation for a second junior doctors strike. ”
The University of Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust has promised ‘Easter gifts’ every day to the fastest teams (pictured: Queen Alexandra Hospital Portsmouth, main site of the trust)
She added, “There will be a daily competition for the wings, in which the best teams will receive some Easter chocolate.”
Trust has been damaged by a barrage of online complaints. In a statement, she said: “We are really sorry for the impact of that letter.
The daily competition for wards takes place
“We read your comments…and raise our hands to say it was our fault.”
“We know that incentives have no place in influencing clinical decisions,” she added.
Last week, in a letter to all the funds, NHS England’s medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis asked for “extra efforts to be made ahead of the bank holiday weekend to get patients out” ahead of the strikes.
