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Richard Humphries, the new head of the government’s health and social care "change agent" team, has admitted the sector may see him as a "trouble shooter", writes Anabel Unity Sale.

Speaking exclusively to Community Care, he said his aim was to reduce delayed discharge in particular areas by 2004, and the team will be modelled on the adoption taskforce. He explained: "The team is expected to make a real impact in reducing the number of people being discharged from hospital."

Humphries, who is currently director of social services and housing at Herefordshire council and chief executive of Herefordshire Health Authority, takes on his new seconded role in January. He said it was too early to say when the entire team would be recruited although he aimed to appoint eight others. "I also want a wider pool of expertise to call upon for specific work, " he added.

He said the team would not operate from a single base but be spread across the country: "We want to be getting out there and helping and supporting change, not being stuck in an office."

The problem of delayed discharge, he said, was the result of social services budgets not containing enough to deal with people coming out of hospital; the capacity of intermediate care and nursing home provision; and how health and social services departments use their resources.

"At the moment it is too easy for hospitals to blame social services, but it is not always the case. It is about trying to take a whole view of the system," he added.

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