New research published by the Liberal Democrats has revealed the impact of the social care crisis on the NHS trusts covering Surrey*, with medically fit patients left stuck in hospital beds waiting for care.

The figures reveal that 8,588 bed days were lost to delayed discharges from hospital in May. Of these, the majority of bed days lost involved patients who had been stuck in hospital for three weeks or more.

Delayed discharges take place when medically fit patients are unable to leave hospital, often due to a lack of social care. Across the country, the NHS lost over 128,800 bed days to delayed discharges from hospital, up 32% on the same period last year.

The Liberal Democrats warned that the government’s failure to tackle the social care crisis was having a “disastrous” impact on local NHS services, piling pressure on hospitals while elderly and vulnerable patients are left waiting for the care they need. The party is calling for the introduction of a Carer’s Minimum Wage, set at £2 above the minimum wage, to help address the huge number of job vacancies in social care.

The Liberal Democrats know that you can’t fix the crisis in the NHS without fixing the crisis in social care. We want to see the Government start valuing carers properly by bringing in a Carer’s Minimum Wage. This would help reduce soaring vacancies in social care and tackle the crisis facing the NHS.”

(*NHS trusts: Frimley; Royal Surrey; Surrey & Sussex Healthcare; Ashford & St Peters; Epsom & St Helier)