U.K. wants fines to end bed blocking - Disability - prevention of unnecessary delay in discharge of aged patients from hospitals in United Kingdom - Brief Article

Community Action, August 19, 2002

LONDON -- The government proposes to end bed blocking in England by making local social services departments pay a penalty of 100 [pounds sterling] to 120 [pounds sterling] a day if they delay an older person's discharge from hospital. In England local social service departments are responsible for home care services.

The Ministers want the power to pressure local authorities to find suitable after care for patients, and free expensive hospital beds for others in need of acute treatment.

The measure is in line with the government's philosophy of ensuring funding moves with the patient and is based on a Swedish model.

The issue of public and private service provision comes into play as local government leaders argue that the situation in that country is different, where more care homes are directly provided by public bodies. In England social services fund most places in private homes.