Lord Smith of Leigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Smith of Leigh on 2015-10-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they estimate is the cost to the NHS of bed-blocking by patients who have received all their medical treatment; and what steps they are taking to reduce this.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The Department has made no formal estimate of the costs of delayed discharge to the National Health Service. It is recognised that such delayed discharges do use resource which could be deployed elsewhere, and all parts of the NHS and those with responsibility outside it, are continually looking for ways in which to reduce the number of delays.