A BED blocking epidemic has gripped a hospital in Barrow where a third of all wards are now occupied by people who no longer need acute care.

Every day around 130 beds across the trust that runs Furness General Hospital are taken up by those who have been medically discharged.

The figures have heightened concerns over the level of increased pressure hospitals and their staff could face this winter - when the number of admissions traditionally peak.

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But FGH boss, Jackie Daniel, the chief executive of the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, explained the number of blocked beds was likely to have been even higher if innovative new strategies had not been deployed.

Mrs Daniel said: "The stark truth is that one-third of our bed base is occupied by patients who are medically fit for discharge.

"We’re trying a range of things to ease the problems – our NHS Rapid Improvement Programme reaches 150 days next Tuesday and once again health and social care partners will meet to discuss progress.

"I’m convinced this programme is having an impact because while this week we still have over 130 people in our hospitals that should not be there, ever-increasing demand means we could have been facing an even greater problem."

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The majority of those unable to leave hospital despite no longer needing acute medical care are waiting for nursing home places to become available, for a social care package to be put in place or for mobility aids to be fitted in their homes.

To help, the trust has launched a range of initiatives to free up beds and ease the flow of patients through the hospital, including food-to-go bags, which provide people with essential provisions for their first days at home, and a scheme to match patients with a volunteer who will keep in touch with them as they recover.

The trust is also working with social services, NHS community services and GP surgeries through the Better Care Together plan to promote joint working on the issue.

Mrs Daniel added: "It seems that every week I’m thanking staff for their magnificent response to the ever-increasing demands on our services."

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