Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients moved into a step down bed purchased using the £750 million allocated by his Department for freeing up beds during winter 2022-23; what was the average duration of their package; and how many of these patients were discharged through each of the pathways specified in the Hospital discharge and community support guidance published on 1 July 2022.

All areas have submitted a final report for the £500 million 2022/23 Adult Social Care Discharge Fund. The Department is reviewing the data and analysis of spending will be included in the evaluation. Local areas spending plans of the Adult Social Care Discharge Fund spending plans is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-social-care-discharge-fund-spending-plans

In January 2023 we announced up to £200 million to fund short-term National Health Service step-down care packages, as well as to help fund wrap-around primary and community health services to support patients’ recovery. Between 24 January and 31 March, sitrep data indicates integrated care boards (ICBs) purchased over 7,000 step-down beds (beds providing intermediate rehabilitation care before going home) for short-term step-down care. The Department does not hold the data on the average duration of short-term packages, and how many of these patients were discharged through each of the discharge pathways.

The further £50 million of capital funding made available in January 2023 was provided to expand hospital discharge lounges and ambulance hubs. No additional step-down beds were purchased through this funding.