"Every bed counts": Plea to families as almost 100 patients block beds in Mansfield hospitals daily

Latest figures show that as a daily average during the week ending January 22, 94 beds at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust were occupied by patients who no longer needed to be in hospital – commonly known as bed blocking.

It meant 14.7 per cent of beds at the trust - which runs King’s Mill, as well as Mansfield Community and Newark hospitals – were taken up by people who did not need to be in them.

Delayed discharges have been a huge challenge for the NHS for years and is often caused by problems securing patients a place in a care or nursing home, or the authorisation of a family member for them to leave hospital.

The latest data comes after SFH saw bed occupancy levels well above 85 per cent last month, which is widely considered to be the level at which hospitals can run safely.

Families are being encouraged to help the situation by taking their loved ones home from the hospital as soon as they are medically declared fit to leave.

David Ainsworth, SFH director of strategy and partnerships, said: “The NHS nationwide is under significant demand and our priority is to ensure our patients can access the healthcare they need as quickly and safely as possible.

“Our patients rightly want to leave the hospital when they are medically declared fit to do so.

“We are asking families to help with a lift home, or to check in on their relative once home to ensure they have the basic food and drink available to keep them well at home.

“Every hospital bed counts this winter, so any help you can give to get a loved one home quicker will help the overall situation.

“Please continue to support our hardworking staff by being kind and considerate.”

Nationally, up to a third of English hospital beds were taken up by bed blockers who were fit for discharge but stuck waiting on wards last week, as the NHS continues to grapple with overflowing wards and unprecedented pressure on emergency departments.