LITTLE hope is in sight for a speedy end to the "bed blocking" crisis which has hit York District Hospital waiting lists and left elderly people in its beds despite being fit to leave.

The York Health Trust board was due to hear today that rationing of social services cash meant there were recently 20 people stuck on wards - 15 from City of York and five from North Yorkshire - though nursing home places were available for them.

The trust and York Primary Care Group provided £60,000 to allow City of York social services to place seven of the patients.

Bill Hodson, the city council's assistant director of community services, said: "The £60,000 is wonderful for those seven people able to move, but it doesn't change the overall position.

"It's temporary relief, but not a permanent solution."

Mr Hodson confirmed rationing would continue, saying the council had hoped this month to reach a situation where it could place more people, but sadly it was not in that position and he had been instructed to bring the social services budget "back in line".

The council was contacting local MPs about its Government funding levels for social services, which were among the lowest for unitary authorities, and he would present a report to senior councillors on the issue next month.

The Government had also announced an intermediate care initiative which could relieve pressure on wards by avoiding the need for people to go into hospital and helping with earlier discharges.

Polly Griffith, chairman of NHS watchdog group York Community Health Council, said it had regular reports from the hospital and also hoped to discuss the issue with social services.

She said: "We are very concerned about it, from the hospital's point-of-view because there are people on waiting lists who are not getting treatment, and from the point of view of the people who are usually elderly who are stuck in beds with no place to go."

A North Yorkshire social services spokeswoman said demand for funding always outstripped resources so people could not be placed immediately, but the county council operated a rolling programme to keep on top of the situation. It would also have an input into intermediate care.

Do you know anyone caught up in bed-blocking? Contact Andrew Hitchon at (01904) 653051 or email andrew.hitchon@ycp.co.uk