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Older people's charity Help the Aged has welcomed the creation of an extra 1,300 intermediate care beds, but warned that the delay in hospital discharge is "only one symptom of the wider breakdown" in elderly care.

Health minister Jacqui Smith allocated £46m from an intermediate care pot of £66m. More intermediate care beds will follow in the £20m second phase.

The funding has been allocated to a variety of intermediate care development schemes ranging from a £2m unit at Aintree University Hospital to a £30,000 scheme to upgrade a residential home to provide additional intermediate care beds in Shropshire.

Other schemes include an extension to a voluntary sector nursing home in Colchester and two schemes to convert sheltered housing to provide intermediate care facilities in Dorset and London.

But Help the Aged urged the government to take a broader view.

"This small amount of intermediate care funding fails to address the needs of older people with chronic conditions who urgently need long-term quality care," said head of policy Tessa Harding.

Smith was speaking at an older people's champions' conference in London where she also announced the launch of the information strategy for older people and a website for the champions.

National director for older people's services Ian Philp said he was looking forward to working with champions.

"I hope they will be particularly concerned to root out age discrimination in health and social care."

- Information strategy for older people can be found at: www.doh.gov.uk/ipu/strategy/nsf/4.htm  

- Website for older people's champions at: www.doh.gov.uk/nsf/olderpeople.htm