Julian Sturdy

I read in the York Press yesterday about the dramatic rise in hospital bed blocking at York Hospital, 6,735 bed days lost the equivalent to 18 beds blocked out of the hospitals 650. T he reason for the the delayed discharge which is having an impact on patient care across the hospital is due to the lack of adequate nursing home provision and the local authorities not being able to provide the relevant care needed.

As a society we are continuing to live longer, yet the provision of nursing homes and the funding for adequate care in the community is continually squeezed by local authorities under pressure form central Government. The situation will not improve unless action is taken, most elderly people want to return from hospital to the comfort of their own home as quickly as possible and this is what care in the community is meant to achieve. For elderly patients to be forced to remain in hospital because there are not enough carers or adequate funding available is not acceptable in today’s society. The cost of bed blocking to the NHS in financial terms and to patent care is huge especially at a time when our local PCT is in such financial difficulties and having to make cuts across the board, this situation will only make their position worse.