Bed Blocking Costs NHS England £900m a year

Delays in discharging patients out of hospital after treatment could be costing the NHS in England £900m a year, an independent review has said.

Labour peer Lord Carter's report found nearly one in 10 beds was taken by someone medically fit to be released.

It said it was a "major problem" causing operations to be cancelled and resulting in the NHS paying private hospitals to see patients.

Union Unison said cuts to social care were a major cause of "bed-blocking".

Lord Carter identified the issue in a wider look at how £5bn could be saved by 2020.

His proposals called for better procurement and staff management, and savings to the drugs bill.

But delayed discharges are likely to be prove a more intractable problem as it is largely not down to the actions of hospitals.

Vulnerable and frail patients cannot be released if there is not the support in the community from home care workers or district nursing staff or a place in a care home.

While official statistics suggest about 5,500 patients a day are affected, the report said information provided by trusts estimates as many as 8,500 beds in acute trusts were being blocked.

It said if you take into account how much staffing and running a bed costs this works out at £900m a year.

Source BBC Health News - View Full Article HERE