EACH day 19 patients who are fit to be discharged are taking up beds at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust, figures show.

NHS England figures show that in August, patients at the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust spent a total of 601 days waiting to be discharged or transferred to a different care facility. That's equivalent to two years of waiting time.

A delayed transfer of care occurs when a patient remains in a bed after being officially declared safe for transfer by both a doctor and a multidisciplinary team, which could include social or mental health care workers.

Across England, an average of 4,802 beds were blocked each day in August 2019, resulting in a total of 148,872 delayed days – equivalent to just under 408 years of lost time.

At Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, bed blocking has fallen, from 27 beds each day in August 2018 to 19 this year.

A report published last year by the Care Quality Commission found "too much ineffective coordination" of health and social care services in England.

With elderly patients often stuck waiting to be signed off, there is concern over the impact delays can have on their health.

According to the NHS, a hospital stay of more than 10 days for a person over 80 can lead to 10 years of muscle ageing.