Laura Sharman 06 August 2021

Call to invest £600m to avoid 'bed blocking' this winter

Call to invest £600m to avoid bed blocking this winter image

Council and health leaders are calling for £600m to free up thousands of hospital beds this winter.

In a letter to ministers, the organisations warn people who are ready to be discharged from hospital risk having to stay longer than needed, if vital additional funding is not confirmed this month.

In April, the Government invested £600m in community services to allow people to be discharged from hospital and treated in or close to their homes. The new approach guarantees four weeks of care support for each discharged person.

Figures shows this approach freed up 30,000 hospital beds and 4,000 frontline nurses.

However the organisations, which include the Local Government Association, warn these services will need to scaled back or stopped altogether if the discharge to assess funding isn’t matched for the next six months from October.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: 'The interaction of health and care systems is complex and can be controversial, but this is an approach that has been proven to work. With the NHS facing a mammoth backlog of care and with the government committed to unveiling a comprehensive social reform package in the autumn, this is surely not the time to be cancelling an initiative at the boundary of health and care that has worked so well.'

The letter has been signed by the NHS Confederation, NHS Providers, Healthwatch England, the British Red Cross, the Local Government Association, and Age UK.

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Adult Social Worker Mental Health

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London Borough of Wandsworth
£38,976 - £52,767
Mental Health Social Worker
Recuriter: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London Borough of Wandsworth

Director of Finance (Deputy Section 151 Officer)

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Council
up to salary max £121,445 per annum
We are now seeking a Director of Finance and Deputy Section 151 Officer to play a pivotal role Hybrid / Kingston Upon Thames
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Council

Principal Engineer - Adoptions

West Northamptonshire Council
£49,587 - £52,860
We are seeking an experienced and motivated Principal Highways Engineer to join our Highways Development Management team at West Northamptonshire Council. This is a senior role leading on the assessment, negotiation, and delivery of highway works linked t Northampton
Recuriter: West Northamptonshire Council

Head of Highway Operations

Derbyshire County Council
Grade 15 £63,002 - £69,103 per annum
As we begin to implement our new structure, we have an exciting leadership opportunity as the head of our new operations service. Derbyshire
Recuriter: Derbyshire County Council

Trainee Roadworker Driver

Derbyshire County Council
Grade 5 £25,185 - £25,583 per annum
We’re looking for Roadworker/trainee LGV drivers to be part of our team undertaking all aspects of highways maintenance and improvement works Derbyshire
Recuriter: Derbyshire County Council
Linkedin Banner