Social care delays take 6% off A&E performance, NHSE estimates

NHS England has for the first time put a figure on the potential impact on A&E performance of eliminating discharge delays for patients going into adult social care packages.

Amanda Pritchard told MPs NHSE’s analysis suggested eliminating discharge delays for patients who receive adult social care (ASC) packages when they leave hospital could “theoretically” improve the A&E four-hour target by 6 per cent points.

She said the figures suggest “around two-thirds of bed days lost to delayed discharges are associated with individuals accessing adult social care, community care and/or care home services on discharge. A third of these delays – around a fifth overall - are for individuals accessing adult social care packages on discharge.”

The outgoing NHSE CEO added: “Eliminating the lost bed days for just the third of delays for individuals accessing adult social care packages on discharge… if all other things were equal, including the rate of admissions and rate of flow through hospitals, theoretically… could potentially improve performance by up to 6 per cent.”

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Source: HSJ, 5 March 2025