Birmingham hospital claims council owes £500,000 in bed blocking row

Jan 21 2010 by Paul Dale, Birmingham Post

Since the CAA Labour councillors, now in opposition, have been suggesting that bed blocking is even worse than the Audit Commission claims.

Opposition Labour group leader Sir Albert Bore, who is also chairman of the Birmingham University Hospital NHS Trust, said he simply didn’t recognise figures put forward by the council claiming there are significantly fewer than 150 beds blocked.

Leaders of the Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition who have been in charge at the council since 2004 insist the Audit Commission is wrong.

Sue Anderson, the cabinet member for adults and communities, blames the Government for changing the way delayed discharges are calculated.

Coun Anderson (Lib Dem Sheldon) said: “The CAA results processes are inaccurate at the present time.

“The method of counting was changed by the Government to include every single bed so it includes acute beds, community beds and beds in mental health trusts.

‘‘It looks as if our delayed discharges have increased to 150 but that is because of the counting.”

She added: “When Labour were in control we were referred to as a disgrace with people sitting in hospital beds who should not have been there.

“Since taking control we have significantly reduced delayed discharges.”

But she hinted that the figures for delayed discharges may have risen at the end of 2009.

Coun Anderson said: “Before Christmas is a very difficult time and a number of wards were closed with sickness and diarrhoea.

‘‘This reduced the number of beds we had available. There are also issues about discharging too soon because the person comes back.”

A council spokeswoman said: “We are working together with our health partners to address the issue of delayed transfer of care.

‘‘Since the CAA red flag, we have reduced numbers and we are currently seeing the lowest figures for some time, despite the additional pressures of the bad weather.”