§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate(a) by health authority, (b) by region and (c) nationally the number of patients staying past their original discharge date in NHS beds before moving to social service beds; and if he will estimate the cost to the NHS of this delayed discharge. [75040]
§ Mr. HuttonThe specific information requested is not collected centrally. Information is collected quarterly on the total number of patients aged 75 and over ready for discharge, but still occupying an acute bed in hospital (excluding those under the care of a psychiatric consultant) because of the following principal reasons: assessment completed but awaiting local authority funding, or, care plan agreed but patient awaiting placement in a non National Health Service-funded nursing home or residential care home. This information for the quarter ending December 1998 has been placed in the Library.
Information on the cost of delayed discharges is not reported. Nor is expenditure information available in sufficient detail to be able to estimate, with any accuracy, the cost of the delayed discharge to the NHS.