Councils told to meet costs of delayed discharge

Health secretary Alan Milburn has announced that local
authorities will be forced to meet the costs of delayed
discharge.

He said councils will have to meet the costs incurred by
hospitals when older people are unable to leave hospital because
intermediate care services and care home provision are not able to
cope with demand.

Social services departments have been given a six per cent real
terms increase in cash to ensure services are adequate when a
person is ready to leave hospital.

Milburn said: “Councils will need to use these resources to
ensure older people can leave hospital when their treatment is
complete.”

Social services will have the resources to increase by a third
rehabilitation care for older people, Milburn said.

He told local authorities to “stabilise the care home
market”.

Milburn also announced that a new Commission for Healthcare
Audit and Inspection would be launched to be “judge and jury” on
the NHS, and a similar body would be set up for social care.