Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the daily average of 13,823 medically fit patients who remained in hospital in January, in particular in regard to social care capacity.

The Government is taking a range of steps to reduce the number of medically fit patients who remain in hospital and recognises that timely discharge is essential for improving patient outcomes and freeing up capacity. Through the Better Care Fund (BCF), £9 billion is available in 2025/26 and a further £9 billion has been committed in 2026/27, which is being pooled to strengthen social care capacity, deliver more joined‑up support, and reduce delays to discharge.

A central aim of the BCF is to support services that help people regain independence, prevent avoidable admissions, and enable timely discharge, with greater emphasis on intermediate care services that can meet both step‑up and step‑down needs.

The BCF also requires systems to set goals to reduce non‑elective admissions for people aged 65 years old and over and discharge delays, ensuring BCF‑funded activity directly supports improved hospital flow.