A sharp rise in waits for care services is piling the pressure on the NHS in England, hospital bosses are warning.
NHS England data showed the number of patients delayed in hospital because they cannot get services such as council home help or a care home place has nearly doubled in two years.
The rise is being linked to the cuts in town hall care budgets seen in recent years.
But councils said a squeeze on their finances had forced them to cut back.
Data for July showed that waits for care topped 61,000 days for hospital patients.
This was up from over 33,000 in the same month in 2014, a rise of 80%.
The figures – obtained from the NHS England data on delayed discharges in hospitals – are being highlighted as part of a special day of coverage by the BBC of care issues affecting the over-65s.
For full article see BBC News 15 September 2016