Recurring concern
Failure to provide timely suitable onward care placements for patients ready for hospital discharge
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Request correctionFirst reported 28 Nov 2017•Latest report 18 Jun 2026
What this concern includes
Includes deficiencies in the discharge and onward-placement process where suitable care-home, nursing, social-care or community provision is unavailable, difficult to identify, arrange or fund, or otherwise fails to enable timely discharge of patients ready to leave acute hospital care.
Not included
- Excludes shortages or placement failures unrelated to patients ready for discharge from acute hospital care unless the report directly connects them to this discharge and onward-care condition.
- Excludes failures concerning the clinical treatment, supervision or safety of patients who appropriately remain in acute hospital care.
- Excludes generic social-care, commissioning or funding deficiencies that are not directly tied to obtaining suitable onward care for a patient ready for hospital discharge.
- Excludes unsuitable school, mental-health detention or other placements where the issue is not hospital discharge to onward care.
- Reports
- 28
- Individual concerns
- 30
- Date range
- 2017–2026
- Stated actions
- 97
Distinct published reports
A report can raise multiple concerns
First to latest report issue date
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
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Concerns raised1
Lack of suitable community social care delaying discharge of patients ready to leave hospital
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
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Concerns raised2
Inadequate community hospital provision for discharges
Inadequate social care provision for discharges
This report raised 6 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3
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Action
Develop local NHS and social-care partnerships and support arrangements to reduce delayed discharges and enable patients to return home sooner.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care -
Action
Ensure every acute hospital has access to a care transfer hub for complex discharges.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care -
Action
Work directly with health and social-care partners in integrated care systems experiencing the greatest discharge delays to drive improvements.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Position
Healthcare providers are responsible for identifying and mitigating risks within their services through their own patient-safety processes.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
-
Concerns raised1
Delays in identifying suitable care home placements
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3
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Action
Continue reviewing discharge processes, alternatives to hospital admission, and patient-flow pathways across Greater Manchester hospitals.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board -
Action
Conduct a further Single Assessment Framework assessment reviewing previously identified shortfalls and whether the provider has sufficiently improved.
Stated by Care Quality Commission -
Action
Update statutory hospital-discharge guidance to support safe, coordinated transfers and continuity of care.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
-
Position
Care home placement shortages and hospital discharge delays fall outside the regulator’s remit.
Stated by Care Quality Commission
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Position
The Secretary of State and Greater Manchester Integrated Care are considered better placed to address care placement shortages and discharge delays.
Stated by Care Quality Commission
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Concerns raised2
Inadequate community hospital provision for discharges
Inadequate social care provision for discharges
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.4
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Action
Increase productivity across acute and non-acute bedded and non-bedded services.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care -
Action
Develop local NHS and social-care partnerships and coordinate support to reduce delayed discharges and enable timely returns home.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care -
Action
Ensure every acute hospital has access to a care transfer hub for complex discharges.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
-
Action
Work directly with health and social-care partners in integrated care systems experiencing the greatest discharge delays to drive improvements.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
-
Concerns raised1
Lack of appropriate community care packages for patients fit for discharge
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
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Action
Invest £1 billion through the Discharge Fund to commission discharge care packages and improve discharge processes.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care -
Action
Launch a £40 million fund for local authorities facing significant urgent and emergency care pressures.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
-
Concerns raised1
Lack of appropriate community care causing medically fit patients to remain on hospital wards
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
-
Action
Improve discharge processes and capacity modelling to support appropriate commissioned community care capacity.
Stated by NHS England -
Action
Undertake programmes improving admissions avoidance and discharge flow to reduce patients remaining in acute medical beds without criteria to reside.
Stated by NHS England
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Position
Responsibility for responding to the report’s concerns rests with NHS England, so no duplicate response will be provided.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
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Concerns raised1
Failure to secure sufficient domiciliary or residential care for medically fit hospital patients
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
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Action
Invest an additional £1 billion through the Discharge Fund to support timely and effective hospital discharge.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care -
Action
Ensure every acute hospital has access to a care transfer hub supporting complex discharges and early planning.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
-
Concerns raised1
Lack of social care provision delaying discharge of medically fit patients
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
-
Action
Provide £1.6 billion over two years to support timely and effective hospital discharge.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
-
Concerns raised1
Lack of suitable care and nursing bed capacity causing unsuitable acute hospital placements
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.4
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Action
Operate the Home Finders Team to facilitate timely, appropriate discharge placements and release acute capacity.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board -
Action
Hold weekly Executive Length of Stay meetings and continuously monitor patients with No Criteria to Reside to identify and remove discharge barriers.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board -
Action
Provide direct digital support to residential and nursing homes to help residents remain in or return to care settings after discharge.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
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Action
Implement a system-wide workforce and market development mitigation plan to support nursing-care providers’ resilience during winter and the medium term.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
-
Concerns raised1
Insufficient availability of suitable social care causing delayed hospital discharges
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.5
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Action
Publish Hospital Discharge and Community Support Guidance setting out hospital discharge and community support processes.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care -
Action
Provide and increase the Adult Social Care Discharge Fund to support additional care packages, beds, equipment and social care workforce capacity.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care -
Action
Continue working with NHS and local authorities to roll out care transfer hubs across the country for complex discharges.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
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Action
Fund home-from-hospital support from voluntary and community organisations alongside independent care providers.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board -
Action
Undertake capacity and demand modelling of homecare and care-home markets to inform local market development.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
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Position
NHS GM considers commissioned home-from-hospital support and existing care capacity sufficient to support timely hospital discharges.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
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Position
Trafford Council considers existing homecare, residential care and supported-living provision sufficient in those areas, despite identified specialist capacity gaps.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
Data last updated 7 September 2026