Delayed discharges rise by 70% in five years, NHS England figures reveal

shironosov/Getty Images

Daniel Pye

Around 13,000 patients a day are medically fit for discharge but remain in hospital according to an analysis of NHS England figures.

A report by Age UK found delayed discharges had risen by around 70% since 2021. And more than 6.7 million bed days were lost to discharge delays of seven days or more in 2025/26.

The charity has called on the government and NHS leaders to take urgent action, claiming recent governments have “taken their eye off the ball” on delayed discharges.

But this accusation was rejected by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSE), which said it was “completely wrong to suggest this government has lost its focus” on the issue.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) said Age UK’s report is further evidence that delayed discharge should be treated “like the life and death matter it is”.

Dr Ian Higginson, president of RCEM, said: “Older patients are bearing the brunt of a failure to act. How many more reports from expert bodies do we need before we see this change?”