Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether integrated care boards are able to spend a proportion of the £250 million, allocated by the Chancellor to accelerate hospital discharge, on social care projects (1) to increase capacity in the community, and (2) to fund extra care beds.

The £200 million announced on 9 January 2023 is specifically for funding short-term National Health Service step-down care packages and is being used to purchase a maximum of four weeks bedded care per patient. Integrated care boards, working closely with local authorities, are using this to purchase places in care homes and other settings, such as hospices, as well as to help fund wrap-around primary and community health services to support patients’ recovery. The £50 million capital, also announced on 9 January 2023, is targeted at projects that can make an immediate impact on reducing the winter crisis. This includes creating greater capacity in discharge lounges to improve patient discharge and hospital flow, as well as other options such as ambulance hubs.