A HEALTH and social care system under 'significant, sustained pressure' as winter begins is grappling with its biggest challenge - the delayed discharge of patients due to issues in social care, or 'bed blocking'.

North Cumbria Intergrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) has said that the amount of patients who no longer need treatment and are fit for discharge - but are unable to due to the no alternative home care being in place - is 'unacceptably high'.

About 200 spaces at any one time - the equivalent of six wards - are unavailable to new patients.

NHS England figures show an average of 145 beds per day were occupied by people ready to be discharged from North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust in October – up from 138 the month before.

Across the country, the average number of occupied beds has risen consistently since the summer, from 11,590 per day in June to 13,613 last month, the highest monthly figure since comparable data began in December 2021.

NCIC has said that pressures in social care have contributed to the high numbers, due to patients unable to be discharged from hospital safely due to not having the right care packages in place.

A spokesman for NCIC NHS Foundation Trust said:"One of our biggest challenges is ensuring that when patients are fit to be discharged from hospital, that they are discharged home or to an alternative care setting swiftly to free up beds for people who need to be admitted or who are having planned treatment.

"For many of our patients it is only possible to do this safely if they have the right care packages in place to support them.

"Pressures in social care mean that too often this isn’t the case.

READ MORE: NCIC responds to claims of thousands waiting for treatment

"We know that lengthy stays in hospital are potentially harmful to vulnerable patients who are exposed to risks they are less likely to face  at home or in care settings.

"So we have been working closely with partners across the system, including the local authority, for some time.

"We are exploring every opportunity to take action ourselves and in partnership to alleviate these pressures.

"It is going to be our biggest challenge as we move into winter, and we are making this a priority for us and the wider system."

The Trust has put a number of measures in place to try and alleiviate pressures including tightening discharge procedures to ensure they are effective seven days a week and are finalising arrangements to staff and access beds within the local authority care sector.

Mark Fryer, leader of the shadow Cumberland Council, said: "I have already has discussions about this and although we don't take over until April we are thinking ahead; we know that this is a real issue for us and the NHS and initial discussion have been really encouraging about how we can work together and stop this issue - but that's in the longer term.

"In the shorter term it is much more difficult because of the significant cuts that have taken place over the past 10 years and those level of cuts are almost impossible to overturn."

A Cumbria County Council spokesman, said: “The social care and NHS system is experiencing significant, sustained pressures that are reflective of those reported nationally.

“Cumbria County Council is working hard with partners to find solutions, recognising that the greatest challenge is recruitment and retention, which is resulting in some people waiting longer for care.

"Our shared priority is the safe care of people, in hospital and in the community and we are working hard, together to achieve this.” 

READ MORE: One in 10 staff working at NCIC Trust are from outside of UK