Almost three million (2,998,273) hospital bed days have been lost between June 2010 and January 2016, at a cost of £910 million, according to a new report by Age UK.
Findings for the Charity reveal that between just two years (Jan-Dec 2014 and Jan-Dec 2015), there has been a 28.4% increase in the number of hospital days lost due to a lack of social care provision available for people being discharged from hospital. The Charity further revealed there has been a 59.8% increase in bed days lost awaiting a care package at home since 2014; a 13.8% increase in bed days lost awaiting a nursing home placement or availability and 9.2% increase in bed days lost awaiting a residential home placement. Age UK’s accompanying report: Behind the Headlines, explores the complexities around hospital discharge.www.ageuk.org.uk
