Delayed discharge from mental health hospitals: results of a postal survey

This paper reports findings from a postal survey conducted by the UK's NHS Confederation to explore the rate and cause of delayed hospital discharges in mental health inpatient services. With delayed discharges the subject of considerable UK government activity in general hospital settings, there has been debate about extending recent financial penalties to mental health, fining social services departments for delayed discharges (a system known as reimbursement). Against this background, the NHS Confederation sent a postal survey to all 83 English mental health trusts and Primary Care Trusts with responsibility for providing mental health services. This asked respondents about delayed discharges from mental health inpatient beds in terms of number of delays, duration of delay, specialty and cause. Responses were then analysed quantitatively (in terms of number and extent of delays) and qualitatively (attitudes to reimbursement and other policies that might help resolve the issue). Overall, the survey reveals high levels of delayed discharges (with from 4% to 16% of beds affected and some 25 to 2,366 bed days lost depending on specialty). The causes of delayed discharge are varied, with a range of factors interacting. Although opinion was divided on the benefits of extending reimbursement, closer analysis revealed greater agreement than may at first be apparent. In particular, those favouring extension tended not to be 'pro-reimbursement' per se, but rather desperate to tackle delayed discharges and prepared to consider any policy that might help. This is an important addition to the current literature and debate, as it suggests that those seemingly in favour of reimbursement may actually be more motivated by a desire to try anything that might reduce delays rather than by commitment to this particular policy.