Last Updated on May 12, 2017
New delayed transfers of care figures for March 2017 have been published by NHS England.
The figures show that there were 199,300 total delayed days in March 2017, of which 132,600 were in acute care. This is an increase from March 2016, where there were 169,900 total delayed days, of which 112,900 were in acute care.
55.3% of all delays in March 2017 were attributable to the NHS, 36.8% were attributable to social care and the remaining 7.9% were attributable to both NHS and social care. The proportion of delays attributable to social care has increased from 32.2% in March 2016.
NHS England says that the main reason for social care delays in March 2017 was 'patients awaiting care package in their own home'. This accounted for 25,200 delayed days (34.3% of all social care delays), compared to 19,400 in March 2016. The proportion of delays attributable to this reason has been steadily increasing since February 2015.
Margaret Willcox, President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), commented on the delayed transfers of care figures saying, 'The fact that the number of delayed discharges attributable to social care has reached a record high is worrying and reflects how far winter pressures extend into the year.
'There were also 1,100 more delays due to people waiting for care packages in their own home than the previous month, which is symptomatic of the historic underfunding of social care which has put the sector in crisis.
'Despite this, dedicated social workers and care staff have done a fantastic job under challenging circumstances to provide personal and dignified care that older and disabled people need and deserve.'
The main reason for NHS delays in March 2017 was 'patients awaiting further non-acute NHS care'. This accounted for 35,000 delayed days (31.8% of all NHS delays). The number of delays attributable to this reason showed a general increase between July 2015 and March 2016, before levelling off for several months. The number of delays attributable to this reason has shown an overall decrease in February and March after peaking in January.
Delays can occur in either an acute or non-acute care setting. The proportion of delays occurring in acute care in March 2017 was 66.6% compared to 66.4% in March 2016. There were 6,600 patients delayed at midnight on the last Thursday of March 2017, of which 4,400 were acute patients. This compares to 5,600 patients, including 3,700 acute patients, which were delayed at midnight on the last Thursday of March 2016.
The Social Care Institute for Excellence has a delayed transfers of care: signposting resource.