Leeds care worker shortage blocking hospital beds

A shortage of care workers means patients ready to leave hospital cannot be discharged

A shortage of care workers in Leeds is blocking almost 300 hospital beds in the city, according to the council.

Cath Roff, director of adults and health at Leeds City Council, said new staff were being sought, but it was challenging.

She said increasing supermarket wages meant people could work somewhere "less stressful, for more money".

Hospital chiefs said they expect admissions of Covid patients to peak by 21 January.

Speaking to the council's adults and health scrutiny committee, Ms Roff said there were 293 people in the city's hospitals who had "no reason to reside".

"We are having real problems with getting outflow from the hospital because of a very challenging situation both in social care and in community health services.

"With sickness absence kicking in, everybody is just maxed out and very stretched."

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According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Ms Roff said hospitals were coping, but were opening up all their extra capacity and might need to use the city's Nightingale hub.

"They are modelling on the peak of admissions hitting a week on Friday - there are about 253 people with Covid at the moment, 13 in ICU, and they are modelling on potentially up to about 350 people."

A Covid Nightingale surge hub is being created on land at St James's Hospital in Leeds

"We need every care worker we can hang onto," Ms Roff said.

The meeting heard home care providers were cutting the amount of time spent with people and care homes were not operating at capacity due to staff shortages.

Ms Roff said a recruitment campaign was being launched, but it was a "tight labour market".

"It is a bit like running up the down escalator to try and stay ahead of this," she said.

"When I see Sainsbury's has now gone to paying people £10 an hour, and there is a cost of living squeeze, you can go work somewhere that is less stressful, for more money and you get 10% off your weekly shop."