HOSPITALS in Cumbria lost thousands of bed days in just one month while patients waited for nursing home places and care packages, newly released data shows.

North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust lost the most days to delayed transfers of care - or bed blocking - in July with patients staying on the wards for a total of 1,899 days despite no longer needing acute care.

The Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the county's community hospitals and inpatient mental health wards, lost the equivalent of 1,767 days during the same period.
The Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle, where thousands of bed days were lost in July. Photo: DAVID HOLLINS 50050946F006.jpg

And the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, which runs Furness General Hospital in Barrow,saw patients remain as inpatients for 1,228 days beyond the time they were declared medically fit to leave.

Staggeringly, the data, released by NHS England this week, reveals the average delay per patient in Cumbria was around 30 days each at a cost to the NHS of around £275 a day.

A statement issued jointly on behalf of all three NHS trusts in the county, claimed the issue was 'significant' in Cumbria.

"Delayed transfers of care are a significant challenge in Cumbria and the whole health and social care system is working closely together to address this.

"In Cumbria the problem is particularly acute because of the high and increasing proportion of older people.

"Innovative work is underway across the health and social care system to ensure patients are in the best place for their needs.

"As a health and social care system, we are committed to working together to address these challenges and improve services for the people of Cumbria."

Ongoing schemes to make sure patients can leave hospital as soon as they no longer need acute nursing care are in place across the county.


Barrow's Furness General Hospital. Photo: LINDSEY DICKINGS REF: 50064251B000.jpg These include the Home First Service at the Cumberland Infirmary's A&E department which works to prevent hospital admissions, the Hospital Home Care Team in the south of the county and a discharge lounge for patients at Furness General Hospital to ensure beds are freed up earlier in the day.

However, the main cause of people being unable to leave hospital as soon as they are ready in Cumbria is a shortage of places in nursing and care homes which accounted for 1,674 days alone in July.

This was followed by patients who remained in hospital while waiting for a home care package to be put in place - with an additional 1,405 days lost.

Councillor Peter Thornton, Cumbria County Council's health and care services boss, said getting a free service like the NHS to work seemlessly with a paid for service like elderly care was challenging.
Cumbria County Council politician Councillor Peter Thornton, cabinet member for health and care. Photo: MIKE McKENZIE

"It's no secret that social care is provided by the private sector and getting a free service like NHS hospital care and means tested care for people outside of hospital to work side by side without any delays is very difficult.

"Recruitment into care roles for these companies is also not easy and that means sometimes we have capacity issues in the county.

"The gold standard of care is to be able to keep people well and out of hospital in the first place, and there is a lot of work going on around that at the moment."

Bed blocking - all you need to know

What is bed blocking?

Bed blocking is when a patient who could be discharged from hospital remains on a ward. It is officially called delayed transfers of care.

Why does it happen?

There are many reasons why patients can't leave hospital. This can be because they are waiting for a nursing home place in their area to become available or because an assessment to find out what type of help they might need at home has not yet been carried out.

What is a social care package?

This is when someone needs help to stay in their own home. For instance, they can live on their own as long as a carer helps them to get dressed in the morning or get back into bed at night.

Sometimes this type of help takes a while to set up while the patient waits in hospital.

Is care at home free?

No. Unlike hospital care which is provided by the NHS, social care is means tested. This means people who have above a set amount of savings will be asked to pay for their care or make a contribution to it.

Hospitals are not a hotel, Cumbria NHS boss warned last year

A hospital boss warned last year that families must play their part in helping to free up beds for sick patients by ensuring they collect their relatives on time.

Foluke Ajayi, chief operating officer for the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, in south Cumbria, said there were occasions when elderly people remained in hospital when they could be discharged because family members preferred to collect them at a more convenient time.

The latest delayed transfer of care figures released by NHS England show in July show 39 bed days were lost in Cumbria because of 'patient or family choice'.


Foluke Ajayi, chief operating officer for the University Hospitals Morecombe Bay Trust. Photo: LOUISE PORTER 50086799F008.JPG In an interview last year, Mrs Ajayi said: "We often have patients ready for discharge in the morning, but relatives tell us they will be there to collect them in the evening.

"It means we have one less bed free for a patient waiting in accident and emergency. These things all help."