§ Mr. LuffTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the patients awaiting discharge in inappropriately occupied beds in Worcestershire hospitals will have their future care packages funded by(a) the health authority, (b) the county social services department and (c) a combination of both; what the equivalent figures were in January 2001; and if he will make a statement. [26403]
§ Yvette CooperFunding arrangements for the number of patients awaiting discharge in inappropriately occupied beds in Worcestershire hospitals 2000–01 are as follows.
December 2000 December 2001 Health authority funded placements 11 19 Social Services funded placements 9 11 Jointly funded placements 9 5 Note:
The data for each year come from two different sources. The 2001 figures have been taken from the weekly SITREPs, and the 2000 figures have been taken from the 2000–01 Q3 CIC return. Both sets of figures cover the last day in December. The monthly figure is a snapshot for that day, the weekly figure is a snapshot for the week ending 31 December.
We are investing an extra £900 million in intermediate care to ensure that we can free up acute hospital beds which are being occupied by older people who could be cared for at home or elsewhere, which in turn will speed up accident and emergency admissions. The NHS Plan clearly states that by 2004 we will end widespread bed blocking. To achieve this we have a target of 5,000 extra intermediate care beds and an additional 1,700 non-residential intermediate care places by 2003–04, with 220,000 more people receiving intermediate care services.
I am advised that Worcestershire county council's allocation of £713,000 from the Government's "Cash for Change" initiative will be used to fund additional residential and nursing home placements, a home care discharge scheme and one off payments to support independent sector homes cost pressures. In addition, Worcestershire health authority received an extra £382,000 in April 2001 to help them prepare for winter pressures.