Oxfordshire bed blocking 'worst in England'

Age UK described Oxfordshire's bed blocking figures as "incredibly disappointing"

Oxfordshire is the worst area in England for bed blocking, according to NHS figures.

Statistics show 182 patients who were fit to leave their beds were stuck on wards during 2012-2013, the same figure as the year before.

Lorraine Foley, from Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, described the issue as a "high priority".

Penny Thewlis of Age UK Oxfordshire said the results were "incredibly disappointing".

She added: "A lot of work has been done on this and it doesn't seem to have made a vital difference.

"It isn't intractable, it's been cracked in other parts of the country."

Oxfordshire was first identified as the worst area in September 2011.

A new deal was drawn up in April 2012 to tackle the problem, including Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust recruiting more staff to look after people in the first six weeks after illness or injury.

For the last six months hospitals have, upon patients' admittance, endeavoured to plan transferrals to care homes or make arrangements for home assistance when required.

'Historical problem'

Ms Foley, who is the director of commissioning and partnerships at the group, added: "There are hundreds, if not thousands of staff who need to adapt and change and take on and embed these processes so it's going to take a bit of time for that to work through the system.

"It's clearly been a historical problem in Oxford, that is well recognised, going back 10 years.

"I absolutely recognise the problem and I can't tell you how high a priority that it is... and what a will there is to fix it, so we don't take it lightly at all.

"It's not a numbers game, it effects people's lives and we're extremely conscious of that."

In 2011 Jean Belcher was stuck in Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital for six weeks.

Her bungalow is visible from the hospital.