UP TO 100 beds in Worcestershire hospitals are regularly being taken up by patients who are ready to go home, new figures have revealed.

A report by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust showed 2,308 bed days at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Kidderminster Hospital and Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital were lost in October as a result of patients waiting either to be discharged or for transport elsewhere.

The amount of so-called ‘bed blocking’ at the three hospitals has meant the equivalent of four wards were taken up by patients labelled ‘fit to go’ at any one time.

Speaking at a meeting of the trust’s board on Wednesday, November 26, chief operating officer Stewart Messer said he was concerned this meant up to 30 per cent of patients in hospital at any one time did not need to be there.

“Where we are now is probably the worst we’ve been for the past three years,” he said.

“Do we accept this? No, I don’t think we do.”

Although he called the support offered by Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust – which runs community healthcare in the county – “exemplary”, Mr Messer also objected to the idea the organisation would ‘evict’ patients to make space for others.

“I find that an abhorrent term,” he said.

“I wouldn’t refer to them as ‘bed blockers’ either – patients are patients.

“It’s our duty to keep them safe when they’re in our buildings.”

The issue has had a knock-on effect across the trust, with the amount of patients waiting longer than the NHS-mandated 18 weeks for an elective operation standing at 1,907 and 8.15 per cent of those visiting A&E waiting longer than four hours for treatment in October.

Although a Patient Flow Centre was recently opened at the Royal in an attempt to speed up the movement of patients through the hospital, it has so far made little difference as the trust has struggled to recruit people to staff it.

The trust’s chairman Harry Turner described the trend as “concerning”.

“We need to make a difference to this in the short term,” he said.

“What I don’t want is for next year patients and their relatives telling horror stories.”

To view the full report visit www.worcsacute.nhs.uk.