Bed Blocking…

Delayed discharged (sometimes called ‘delayed transfer’ or ‘bed blocking’) refers to the situation where a patient is deemed to be medically well enough for discharge but where they are unable to leave hospital because arrangements for continuing care have not been finalised. If a patient is deemed mentally fit to be discharged from hospital and an appropriate aftercare package is in place to assist them, then this can release the pressure of bed blocking.

Bed blocking can cause considerable distress and unnecessarily long stays in hospital for patients. It also affects waiting times for general NHS care, as delayed transfers reduce the number of beds available for other patients who need them.

An excess bed day in the NHS costs between £2,089 and £2,532 a week for non-elective and elective inpatients, respectively, compared to about £519 for a place in residential care and less still for homecare.

Our Beds, Leg Lifters and Pillow lifters are all available for purchase or hire.

Long or short term hire plans are available.

Let us help you!!

When implemented as part of a wider care plan our beds reduce the occurrence of bed blocking. They also reduce the number of carers needed to deliver personal care (thus also saving money) whist importantly promoting patient independence and dignity.

Contact a member of our team to discuss how we can help.