§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of delayed discharges from hospitals of patients who are awaiting social services funding or assessment. [54638]
§ Mr. BoatengThe Department is undertaking a number of relevant activities. Part of the £269 million additional funding for the National Health Service in England which was announced last October is aimed at reducing delayed discharges and some of the money was transferred to social services for this purpose. For 1998–99, the special transitional grant for community care services has a condition attached to it that some funds should be invested in services with the objective of improving procedures for needs assessment, hospital discharge arrangements and preventing unnecessary admission to hospital or residential or nursing home care.
Part of the £417 million additional funding announced in the budget is aimed at tackling NHS waiting lists by improving primary, community, mental health and social services. The Department's inspectors are routinely involved in an active programme of monitoring local authorities' hospital discharge arrangements and will be publishing a report shortly. Our Better Services for Vulnerable People initiative requires health and local authorities to develop joint investment plans, recuperation and rehabilitation services for older people and improved procedures for multidisciplinary assessment of older people. Our review of hospital discharge guidance will include consideration of how we can resolve the difficulties around delayed discharge.
§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by region the number of delayed discharge patients currently occupying hospital beds who are awaiting social services funding or assessment. [54637]
§ Ms JowellInformation is not available in the format requested. However, information is available on the number of people aged 75 and over ready for discharge, but still occupying an acute hospital bed because they are awaiting completion of assessment or local authority funding. The most recent information is provided in the table.
791W
Total number of patients aged 75 and over ready for discharge but still occupying a hospital bed because they are: Region awaiting local authority funding awaiting completion of assessment Total number of patients aged 75 and over ready for discharge but still occupying a hospital bed Total number of patients aged 75 and over occupying an acute hospital bed South and West 169 100 752 6,876 West Midlands 67 149 628 4,647 North West 139 141 650 6,225 England 1,136 1,499 6,095 47,500 Source:
National Health Service Executive Quarterly Monitoring Activity Data—1997–98 Quarter 4