§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce the incidence of bed blocking in hospitals. [5976]
§ Mr. BoatengWe shall explore proposals to address the difficulties around hospital discharge procedures and the problems which are caused by ensuing delays. We acknowledge that there are concerns about the current level of delayed discharges in some areas. Responsibility for hospital discharge delays rests with one agency but sometimes delays occur through the local authority or the health authority and sometimes in meeting the particular needs of the individual patient and their family.