Proposals are being put forward by the Department of Health for a new system to be brought into force to reduce the delays in discharging elderly people from hospitals. The plan is to make social services pay for the care of elderly patients whose discharge is delayed until an alternative hospital can be found.
The system's aimed at stopping bed blocking by 2004. In March 2001 there were almost 6000 delayed discharges. The figure has reduced to 4691 by March this year.
The proposed reimbursement system will clarify who is responsible for which stages of care and will give all partners a financial incentive to ensure patients are moved on time, thus resulting in a smooth transition.
Soocial services will receive a 6% increase in funding over the next three years. Services to elderly people will receive an extra £1 billion by 2006.
According to a spokesman for the British Medical Association, bed blocking can't be solved just by providing more acute beds or more care home beds. The solution lies with a multi-agency approach and recognising the size of the problem.
Learn about care in old age in Care Fees Adviser.com.