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Opposition mounts to ‘bed blockers’ bill

Doctors, managers and local government leaders have forged a united front to fight the government’s proposals to fine councils over delayed discharges from NHS hospitals.

The BMA, NHS Confederation and Local Government Association have all warned that the government’s Community Care (delayed discharges) Bill would be impractical to operate and add huge financial strain to councils.

The bill, which passed its second reading in November, would make social services pay NHS trusts if patients are forced to stay in hospital because home care arrangements are not ready. Although health secretary Alan Milburn announced an extra £100m for the next three years to help finance the changes – transferred from NHS to social services budgets – protestors dismissed this as inadequate.

The LGA has described the bill is an ‘unwelcome departure’ from the government’s policy of fostering partnerships between the NHS and local councils. It says social services departments are already too overstretched to create new home care facilities to speed up discharge. If fined, money would simply be diverted from services for elderly people and other vulnerable groups.

The LGA, NHS Confederation and the Association of Directors of Social Services jointly condemned the plans in a statement which also proposes an alternative strategy to end the ‘misery’ of delayed discharges. After commissioning a computer model simulating the discharge process, they are recommending a ‘whole system’ approach to discharges with joint targets and protocols to solve the problems.

Chair of the LGA Sir Jeremy Beecham warned: ‘The government should be in no doubt that its proposals to charge local councils for delayed discharges risk seriously undermining the level of care we can provide to older people.’

Chief executive of the NHS Confederation Dr Gill Morgan said she had ‘a number of real concerns’ about how the system would operate in practice.

The BMA has also criticised the bill. Dr Andrew Dearden, chair of the BMA’s community care committee, said councils had been underfunded for years and charging heavy fines would place an even greater burden on resources.

He added: ‘The plans will seriously damage the relationships between NHS providers and local authorities where the NHS is rewarded for the failures of social services.’