26 July 2002
The initiative comes as the Commons' health select committee called for a 'radical overhaul' of the way the NHS tackles bed-blocking.
In a report on delayed discharge from hospital, the MPs said there were unacceptably wide variations in England. The latest Department of Health figures suggest that people well enough to be discharged occupied 6% of all acute beds, costing the NHS £720m a year. In some areas, 20% of beds were blocked.
Health Secretary Alan Milburn announced this week that by the end of 2004 social services must make an initial assessment of elderly people's needs within 48 hours of discharge from hospital and a complete assessment within a month. All the equipment the patient needs, such as handrails, should be in place within a week.
He added that a 'modest' increase in care home beds was needed and some of the extra £1bn to be spent on social services by 2006 should go towards higher care home fees.
'We will now plan to increase the number of care home places supported by local councils. Since last November, when we made available an extra £300m to social services, fee levels have risen – by up to 10% in some parts of the country. The resources we are providing from April next year will allow councils to pay higher fees to stabilise their local care home market,' he said.
He promised more services, including double the amount of intensive home care packages by 2005 compared with 1995, and 70,000 more rehabilitation packages. Councils would have to offer a choice between providing services and a cash grant.
Milburn signalled the government's intention to press on with fines for councils that fail to act on bed-blocking. But this was attacked by MPs.
The report said: 'There are real risks that perverse incentives will be created that will undermine partnerships that have taken time to develop and foster an unproductive culture of buck-passing and mutual blame between health and social care.'
PFjul2002
