A threat to cut funding from Cumbria's care budget if it failed to meet bed-blocking targets has been withdrawn.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt had warned Cumbria County Council that it could see its money slashed if work to get more patients out of hospital beds was not deemed up to scratch.

But the Cumbria Health and Wellbeing Board disputed the bed-blocking targets set by central Government, saying NHS England had made 'technical mistakes' when drawing them up.

Following urgent talks, these targets were revised - but it remained unclear whether the county had done enough to satisfy the Government and stop vital funding being reduced.

Mr Hunt, together with Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid, has now written to the council to confirm that Cumbria's allocation for 2018/19 will not be reduced as feared.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt

If that had happened, council leader Stewart Young had warned that bed-blocking would simply get worse.

They said they had analysed each council's performance against a range of criteria to decide which would be formally reviewed.

"In reviewing the data, we note that your council is either not in the bottom quartile and/or has shown improvement against at least one of the factors," they add.

"As a result, we can confirm that there will be no impact on your additional iBCF (Better Care Fund) allocation in 2018/19.

"However, you will appreciate that it remains crucial we are as well-prepared as we can be going into winter, and your continued efforts to reduce delayed transfers of care are essential."

Bed-blocking, also known as delayed transfers of care, refers to patients who are medically well enough to be discharged from hospital, but can't go home for other reasons.

Cumbria has one of the highest rates in the country, with the majority due to delays providing social care.


Stewart Young Labour's Mr Young had previously argued that there are a wide range of reasons for this, including funding issues.

He said financial threats from Government were counterproductive.

The council leader welcomed the news that the funding threat had been formally withdrawn.

"We were contesting the targets that were being set. That has come down. Not as much as we felt it should, but they have met us halfway and made it more realistic and achievable.

"Now we've been able to demonstrate that we've actually had a 17 per cent reduction. It's not enough and we still need to do more, but it is progress," he said.

"This letter shows that they have accepted that we are doing everything we can, and we will continue to do that, and removed the threat of taking money off us next year."

Mr Young believes the decision is largely due to a national outcry against the Government's funding threats - including vocal opposition from many Conservative-led councils.

"They will have been making representations about it. There will have been a backlash. It was the wrong way to go about it.

"Cutting funding isn't punishing us, it's punishing the people who are in hospital and want to get home," he said.

"You can't run health and social care services with that type of attitude, telling people what to do and threatening them if they don't. We've all got to work together across the system."


Moves to link services underway

Efforts to join up health and social care services across Cumbria are now gathering pace, say bosses.

They add it will make it less likely that people will have to go into hospital, with rapid response teams being set up to support those who could potentially be cared for at home.

The plans are being rolled out across the north of the county, where eight so-called Integrated Care Communities (ICCs) - or health and care hubs - are being established.

The rapid response teams will bring together health and care professionals to provide immediate, short term help to keep people out of hospital, or, if they are admitted to hospital, to get them home quickly by making sure they have the right support in place.

They will include social care and community health staff, such as occupational therapists and nurses, who will work closely with GP practices in the ICC areas.

The support they provide could range from nursing and therapy to equipment, rehabilitation and advice.

Stephen Eames, lead for the new North Cumbria Health and Care
Stephen Eames System, explained: “We know that by offering more intensive health and care services into people’s homes and communities that we can prevent them from coming into hospital in the first place.

"The development of rapid response will help us to provide care quickly, where it’s needed most. This is a big step in joining up our health and care services and it’s great news for patients.”

The teams will be up and running in Copeland, Workington and Carlisle from January, with other areas to follow in the spring.

In south Cumbria, the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust already has a rapid response team in place to tackle bed-blocking.

Based in the hospital, they are able to go out to a patient’s home and provide basic care and support while longer term care packages are put in place.