Care homes could solve NHS bed crisis

A report by think tank ResPublica has claimed that the NHS should pay care homes to care for patients who remain in hospitals due to delayed discharge problems.

It argues that such a move would free up hospital beds and provide vital investment into the care sector – thus creating a ‘win, win’ situation.

Current figures show that there are 4,300 patients stuck in hospital each day because of ‘bed blocking’, a figure which takes up four per cent of general beds in hospitals.

The report, ‘Care after Cure: Creating a fast track pathway from hospitals to homes’, examines how to reduce these pressures on the NHS by making better use of existing residential care facilities, and asks what is needed to allow residential care to step up and take on a more substantial role in the health and social care ecosystem through working more closely with providers of healthcare.

Phillip Blond, ResPublica director, claims that the bed blocking crisis in the NHS is only getting worse and that the extra money could also help care homes stay afloat. A report last year by the think tank warned 37,000 beds could be lost in the sector in the coming years because of the squeeze on fees paid by councils.

Dr Sarah Wollaston, chair of the Health Select Committee, said: "This report from ResPublica provides compelling evidence that social care cannot be seen in isolation from the NHS. There is an urgent need to improve access to social care and to address the delayed transfers of care and this can no longer be side-lined by policy makers.”