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 support NHS trusts to reduce the number of delayed discharges from hospital.

The Government is committed to tackling delayed discharges.

In January 2025, we published a new policy framework for the £9 billion Better Care Fund, giving the National Health Service and local authorities accountability for setting and achieving joint goals for reducing discharge delays, preventing avoidable emergency admissions and care home admissions. We also published the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26, making it a priority to tackle delays for patients waiting over 21 days after being medically fit for discharge.