A survey by the Carers' National Association finds that thousands of chronically ill people are being discharged too early from hospital placing a high burden on the family members who must care for them.

Pressure on NHS staff to unblock beds and cut waiting lists are leading to patients being discharged without a proper consideration of relatives' ability to care for them.

The number of chronically ill patients having to be readmitted within two months to hospital has more than doubled from 19 per cent in 1999 to 43 per cent in 2001.