‘Bed blocking’ taking up to one in three hospitals beds in postcode lottery of care

19 Apr 2024

Embargoed until 00.01 Wednesday 17 April

Croydon, Wigan and Isle of Wight amongst worst hit areas by delayed discharges
Average of 13,662 patients a day stuck in hospital despite being medically fit to leave
Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey warns “social care crisis is turning into a national emergency”

Stark new data has revealed the areas in England being worst hit by delayed discharges, with up to one in three hospital beds taken up by patients who are medically fit to leave.

The House of Commons Library research, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, shows the proportion of available hospital beds at each NHS trust being taken up by patients classed as fit to leave but who are unable to, often due to a lack of social care.

Across the country, an average of 13,662 patients were stuck in hospital every day in February 2024 even though they were fit to be discharged. This led to just under one in seven (13%) hospital beds in England being taken up.

Croydon (33%) saw a shocking one in three available hospital beds out of action due to delayed discharges, with 166 of 508 beds taken up by patients ready to leave. This was the worst hit area in the country and almost three times the national average.

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh was second worst impacted with 29% of available beds taken up by patients well enough to be discharged. This was followed by the Isle of Wight (28%) North Bristol (26%) and Warrington and Halton (25%).

The South West was the worst hit region with 17% of beds occupied by patients fit to leave, followed closely by the South East at 16.5%. This compared to 9% of beds taken up by delayed discharges in the East of England the lowest rate in the country.

Leading health think tank the King’s Fund has calculated that it costs the NHS £395 a night to care for someone when they could be discharged. The direct costs of delayed discharges in 2022/23 was a staggering £1.9 billion. Patients who stay in hospital when they are ready to be discharged are also at higher risk of getting hospital-acquired infections and of losing mobility and independence.

The Liberal Democrats have led the way setting out bold policies to tackle the crisis in social care. This includes the party’s call for a Carer’s Minimum Wage, set at £2 above the minimum wage, to tackle huge workforce shortages in the care sector. Ed Davey has also written to Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer calling for cross-party talks on the long-term funding of social care.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

“The social care crisis is turning into a national emergency, after years of neglect under this failing Conservative government.

“Thousands of people are being left stranded in hospitals every day waiting for the care they need, while the NHS buckles under the strain. Elderly relatives stuck alone in overcrowded hospital wards, when they could be being cared for at home or with their families if the right support was there.

“There is a deafening silence from Rishi Sunak and his government about what they will do to fix the mess they have made.

“The Liberal Democrats have set out the big ideas we need to solve the crisis in social care along with the crisis in the NHS. We would make sure everyone can get the care they need, in their homes if possible.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor

House of Commons Library available here.

King’s Fund Research available here.

House of Commons Library note:

NHS England publishes data on the number of people occupying acute hospital beds who “no longer meet the criteria to reside” but have not been discharged each day.

Data is also available on the average number of general and acute beds available over a month.

This spreadsheet compares these figures. Using the daily data I have calculated an February 2024 average for the number of people occupying acute beds who do not meet the criteria to reside but have remained in hospital. This is compared with the average number of general and acute beds available to produce a percentage.

The spreadsheet attached shows this data for NHS regions, ICBs, and trusts. Overall in England there were an average of 13,662 acute patients not discharged each day in February 2024 even though they no longer met the criteria to reside. This was 13% of general and acute beds available – just under one in seven.