Sir Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason NHS hospitals have not commissioned beds available in care homes to restore capacity on hospital wards by enabling patients to be discharged.  [26404]

[Due for Answer on 30 January]

ANSWER

The Minister of State for Care (Stephen Kinnock): Local authorities should determine the volume and type of services, including care home beds, that are required to meet their responsibilities under the Care Act 2014. National Health Service integrated care boards, local authorities, and providers should work together to ensure that efforts to discharge individuals from hospital into social care are joined up and make best use of the available resources, in line with the duty to cooperate as set out in Section 82 of the NHS Act 2006.

In December 2024 there were, on average, 12,000 adult patients in acute hospital beds per day with delayed discharges, 5% fewer than in December 2023.