‘Bed blocking’ has long been associated with NHS pressures, but in 2025, the issue of delayed hospital discharge remains prominent. Recent data shows that one in seven NHS hospital beds in England are occupied by patients who are medically fit to leave, but unable to be discharged due to a lack of social care arrangements. In January, this number reached over 13,500 patients in one week.
As a system-wide issue, it is more important than ever to remember the real people behind these statistics. For patients, every extra day in hospital could mean a loss of mobility, an increased risk of infection and greater emotional distress. Older people can lose significant muscle strength just from being confined to bed for longer than necessary. Many could go home sooner, with the right support, but that support is not always put in place, despite increasing investment in hospital-to-home initiatives.
I recently cared for a client who had surgery and needed support for the first 24 hours at home. Before her procedure, we met to discuss what she would need and what to expect after discharge. I also liaised with the hospital to make sure everything was in place. Once she was home, I supported her with personal care, meals, mobility and emotional support – reassuring her and monitoring her recovery. By having a plan in place beforehand, she was able to have her procedure without delay, she felt safe knowing someone was there and her family had peace of mind. It was a simple intervention with a big impact, and far from an isolated case – short-term home care consistently enables smoother recovery.
The benefits of discharging patients into their own home are clear – professional care at home can result in smoother recovery, reduce risk of readmission and ease NHS pressures. The question is not whether it is the right solution, but how consistent access can be implemented when the option of home care is often overlooked by discharge teams, patients and families.
Government has recognised the need to shift towards community-based care, with local health and care systems being allocated £9bn towards reducing hospital admissions, cutting discharge delays and minimising long-term care placements. But in practice, home care providers are often left out of the conversation. Discharge teams are under huge pressure, and smaller care providers struggle to be part of the conversation. Preferred provider frameworks often dictate which care options are considered first, which means families are not always made aware of all options.
If care providers were involved in discharge discussions before a patient entered hospital for a planned procedure, many people would have the opportunity to return home sooner and recover in familiar surroundings. Yet too often, families are not aware that short-term home care is an option. The assumption is that post-hospital care means either a care home placement or relying on family support – in reality, professional care at home can often be enough to support recovery and reduce the risk of complications.
The shift towards home-based care is not just about freeing up hospital beds – it is about giving people the chance to recover where they feel most comfortable. More investment needs to be directed into expanding access to home-based recovery care, rather than defaulting to residential placements or relying on hospitals to hold onto patients longer than necessary.
Additional work needs to be done to inform people of all available options – if families knew more about the range of care services available, many would push for earlier discharge. If hospitals worked more closely with home care providers, more patients could benefit from the support they offer. Social care is not separate from healthcare – it is part of the solution. The question of delayed discharge is unlikely to go away, but the answers are already in front of us. Now, it is about making them work for the people who need them most.
How can NHS and social care colleagues work together to support earlier discharge? Leave a comment on this column or join the conversation to share your thoughts.
Gillian Louggar is a Registered Care Manager at Promedica24. Email: [email protected] X: @Promedica24uk