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Shrewsbury social services are pioneering an agreement with a hospital trust to invest delayed discharge fines in intermediate care.

The agreement drawn up between Shrewsbury Council and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, will enable their share of the £50m delayed discharge grant to be spent on intermediate care services aimed at preventing older people from needing hospital care.

Andy Rust, joint commissioner for planning, performance and community safety at Shropshire Primary Care Trust, said the agreement had been developed by using Health Act flexibilities.

But, if the total fines exceed the grant over a year then social services will have to make up the gap.