Hospital wards still more than 90% full

STRUGGLE TO SHIFT BACKLOG OF PATIENTS WELL ENOUGH TO GO HOME

- HELENA VESTY

GREATER Manchester's hospitals are still more than 90 per cent full after months of services being under immense pressure.

Hospital bed occupancy across the region has been on average just above 91pc from March 18 to March 24, with the peak at 92.8pc for the period, according to the latest update from the local NHS system.

Greater Manchester's hospitals have repeatedly been more than 90pc full for months, with the M.E.N. reporting in early December - and a number of times since that the hospital system was that full going into the peak of the winter months.

Bed occupancy has remained high, despite all hospitals trusts making 'a concerted effort to get people home or to another appropriate care setting ahead of the Easter weekend, Greater Manchester's NHS has said. One key reason for people being stuck in hospital was lack of resources in social care, meaning patients cannot be allowed to leave hospital as there is no one to care for them when they are back at home.