Barnsley receives £2.5m to speed up hospital discharges

BMBC is one of 65 councils to receive a share of a one-off £25m fund to ease pressure on hospitals by cutting delayed transfers of care.

The cash will be used to fund short stay placements in care homes for people discharged from hospital but awaiting community support; additional homecare support; extra agency staff; and extended of out of hours services for palliative care in the community.

An extra mental health step down bed will also be purchased, along with increased nursing capacity.

Government statistics show that there are currently around 13,000 people occupying hospital beds in England who are fit to be discharged.

Officials say prolonged stays in a hospital bed can contribute to poorer outcomes, particularly for older people, with increased muscle loss making rehabilitation harder, as well as the ongoing risk of exposure to infections and the impact on mental health.