Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that older patients are not discharged from hospital prematurely due to bed pressures; and what measures are in place to safeguard patient safety during the discharge process.

The Government is committed to ensuring that all patients are discharged from hospital appropriately with the right care and support in place. Clinicians in every speciality use a set of criteria and clinical judgement to determine when a patient is medically fit for discharge, and where people need further care after discharge, multi-disciplinary care transfer hubs bring together the National Health Service, local authorities, social care, housing, and other professionals to make arrangements for safe and timely discharge.