Delayed Discharges (Hansard, 3 December 2002)

§ 26. Miss McIntosh
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of delayed discharges was in(a) North Yorkshire and (b) England on (i) 1 April 1997 and (ii) 1 April 2002. [82642]

§ Jacqui Smith
The delayed discharge rate for people aged 75 and over in North Yorkshire in the first quarter of 1997–98 was 3.9 per cent. In the last quarter of 2001–02, the rate was 8.5 per cent. The equivalent rates for England were 13.3 per cent., and 9.4 per cent., respectively, a reduction of 21 per cent., in the number of older people whose discharge was delayed.

§ Mr. Burstow
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in each(a) local authority, (b) primary care trust and (c) health authority in England will be required to implement the proposed fines for delayed discharge. [83850]

§ Jacqui Smith
[holding answer 28 November 2002]: Health and social care agencies have, over a number of years, developed local information systems to help them tackle delayed discharges. In the future, they will need to agree between themselves what data they need to prepare for the introduction of reimbursement. That information should flow from existing systems.
758W

§ Dr. Fox
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how he will measure the degree to which delayed discharges are widespread in March 2004 in order to ascertain whether targets relating to delayed discharges have been met. [84043]

§ Jacqui Smith
This will be evident from the progress achieved by March 2004 in comparison with the number of delayed transfers of care at the time that the NHS Plan was published.

§ Dr. Fox
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his definition of a delayed discharge is. [84044]

§ Jacqui Smith
The definition used in information collected via the Department's Service and Financial Framework Report returns specifies that "a delayed discharge occurs when a patient is ready for transfer from an 'acute' bed, but still occupying an 'acute' bed in a hospital. The patient being ready for transfer when a clinician in conjunction with the multi-disciplinary team have decided both that the patient no longer requires to occupy an 'acute' hospital bed and is safe to be transferred."