Between 40 and 45 elderly patients are to be moved out of York District and Bootham Park Hospitals and into nursing and residential homes between now and the end of March to resolve the "bed-blocking" problem.

Health chiefs announced that an injection of National Health Service cash would be used. There is no exact figure for how much it will cost, though one estimate is that it could be between £150,000 and £200,000.

The NHS has already spent £250,000 last year moving more than 40 people into homes to take pressure off the York Health Trust as it seeks to meet tight waiting list targets. In their cases the nursing home costs will be taken on by City of York Council after April 1.

But no decision has yet been made over who will foot the bill for the latest batch of patients after the end of March.

The problem of bed-blocking, or delayed discharges, occurs when usually elderly patients are fit enough to leave hospital but require nursing or residential home care.

Rationing of social services cash by the city council due to budget overspending has meant people having to stay on wards.

The new money has come from the York Primary Care Group (PCG), though North Yorkshire Health Authority has agreed to provide "top-up" cash if necessary.

York Health Trust chief executive Simon Pleydell said though it had done well on waiting list targets in December, it was very busy this month and had a large number of delayed discharges.

"We can't live through the winter without anybody being moved on," he said.

"We recognise the position of the City of York. However, we have to take some measures in order to maintain services in terms of the normal functioning of the NHS."

The trust board will hear tomorrow that the number of delayed discharges has been increasing, with an estimated 33 people in this position on January 17.

Updated: 14:12 Tuesday, January 30, 2001