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Social services chief inspector Denise Platt admitted last week that one in eight of people aged over-75 in hospital should not be there.

Speaking at a health select committee on delayed discharges she said that in September 2001, 12 per cent of over-75s in acute beds "could have been placed somewhere different and would have been more appropriately placed somewhere different".

However, she emphasised that the figure has come down since 1997 and that the government was "making in-roads" into the problem.

Nationally, 6 per cent of all acute beds are blocked, at the cost of around £120,000 per bed each year. The figures vary regionally from 10.3 per cent in the South East compared with 3.3 per cent in Trent. The government has a target of 2.5 per cent by 2005.

Nearly four-fifths of delays are for more than eight days, with 39.5 per cent lasting for more than 28 days.

Reasons for the delayed discharges vary, with the highest percentage (22.2 per cent) of people waiting for completion of an assessment of future care needs or the identification of an appropriate care setting. Just over a fifth are waiting for social services funding for residential or home care, including cases where social services and the NHS have failed to agree funding for a joint package.

A further 20.4 per cent are awaiting a care home placement, and 11.5 per cent for further NHS care. Just over 8 per cent are delayed due to the patient or family exercising their right to choose a residential or nursing care home and 6.7 per cent are awaiting a domiciliary package or home adaptations and equipment.

The government aims to address delays in assessment by joint working initiatives such as Health Act 1999 flexibilities, development of care trusts, and the single assessment process.