Bed blocking 10 times higher per head of population in NHS England than in NHS Scotland!

In the Observer today:

‘But the latest NHS figures show the problem is returning. December 2019 saw 148,000 delayed days across England, 15% higher than the same month a year earlier. The combined figures for the last quarter of 2019 were the highest in two years.’

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/feb/23/bed-blocking-highest-since-2017-hospitals-nhs

Meanwhile, from NHS Scotland:

‘In December 2019, the average number of beds occupied per day due to delayed discharges was 1,465. In November, the daily average was 1,497.’

The graph below, shows that the average daily number of beds occupied by delayed discharges [‘bed blocking’] has been falling for the last 5 months.

https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/health-and-social-care/delayed-discharges/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly/

So, the rate in NHS England [148 000] is more than 100 times higher than that in NHS Scotland [1 465]. England has 10 times the population, so the rate of ‘bed-blocking’ is 10 times higher, per head of population.

5 thoughts on “Bed blocking 10 times higher per head of population in NHS England than in NHS Scotland!”

  3. Beyond me why Conservative Government shows no initiative in solving problem by adopting USA practice and instructing Hospitals to dump patients immediately after surgery and without notice at charity and other voluntary providers of beds for the homeless and similar. Works very well in the USA by freeing up beds for paying patients

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    1. Give them time. They can only do so much multitasking and at the moment they are sorting out the foreigners and trying to find Boris who seems to have gone AWOL

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