Latest figures from the NHS have intensified the spotlight on social care and housing. More than 14,000 people are stuck in hospital despite being medically fit for discharge – more than one in seven patients across the health service. That number continues to climb month-on-month, largely due to lack of community or social care capacity.
Unnecessarily long stints in hospital can make people more sick. Those facing delayed discharge are more likely to pick up serious infections, face life-threatening blood clots, and experience a loss in confidence and mobility.
The financial implications for the NHS are also stark. Staffing needs are growing, planned operations are being cancelled due to beds not being available for routine surgeries, and ambulance response times are soaring as A&E waiting rooms exceed capacity.
In one month alone between November and December 2024, the estimated costs of delayed discharge were £165m according to The King’s Fund.
While the challenge around bed occupancy isn’t new, it is getting progressively worse, with an acute impact at the intersection of housing, care and health – which are all closely entwined. An historic shortfall of affordable housing for those with care needs is stopping people from moving to appropriate accommodation at the right time.