More than 14,000 NHS hospital beds are being unnecessarily occupied every day by patients who are fit to be discharged, according to new figures. A report revealed that almost a fifth of care providers are waiting weeks for patients to be transferred into their care due to various reasons such as lack of payment agreement for social care, wrong or insufficient information provided by hospital staff, lack of communication, wait times for care assessments, and lack of transport.
The survey of 568 care homes and homecare providers across the UK found regional variations in discharge times, with some areas experiencing longer delays than others. The East of England performed the best, with 96% of patients admitted to care providers within a week, while Scotland, the West Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber reported longer wait times for admissions.
Experts have criticized the current system, with Care England chief executive Prof Martin Green stating that the system is “failing” and will only get worse without action. Independent Care Group chair Mike Padgham called the situation “bleak and unacceptable” and said that reform is urgently needed. Autumna founder Debbie Harris described the findings as a “wake-up call” for politicians to address the broken system before it completely breaks down.
The NHS acknowledged the issue of delayed discharges and is working to improve the system, while the government has pledged to reform the social care sector and establish a National Care Service, although no timeline has been specified. The pressure on the NHS, experts argue, is a result of a process-focused system that has lost sight of patient care as the main priority.
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