THE bed-blocking crisis which plagued York Hospital for years has eased.

City of York Council says it has made great efforts to ensure it no longer causes the problem, which at one time led to more than 50 elderly patients being stuck in hospital when they were fit to leave.

The authority no longer causes delayed discharges because of a lack of funding to pay for patients to go into nursing homes, as it once did.

Nor does a shortage of places in council and privately-run homes any longer prevent patients leaving hospital. However, York Hospitals NHS Trust says the hospital still suffers from lesser bed-blocking problems caused by other factors.

A spokeswoman said that, in some cases, patients were waiting for equipment, such as chair-lifts, to be installed in their homes or relatives' homes.

In others, patients were waiting for places in hospices or in rehabilitation centres, or for care packages to be arranged, or were waiting for a suitable place to become available in a nursing home in their home area.

She said there were 16 delayed discharges in December, with 13 of the patients from the York area, but this was still a considerable improvement on the situation some years ago.

In 2000, there were up to 50 bed blocking cases and the situation became so bad that hospital chiefs were reported to have come within a day of cancelling routine operations.

The Evening Press launched its Care In Crisis campaign to highlight the problems.

Even less than a year ago, up to 26 beds at the hospital were occupied by patients who were ready to leave, but could not go.

Jim Crook, right, director of community services at City of York Council, said a whole series of initiatives had been undertaken in partnership with the health service to reduce bed-blocking.

One had involved the conversion of Clarendon Court, a sheltered housing complex off Haxby Road, York, into an intermediate care centre called Archways. The 28-bed centre, which opened last autumn, provides care for people who do not need to be in hospital but still require medical support. It offers 24-hour nursing while promoting independence among older people.

Updated: 08:46 Monday, January 10, 2005