THE media is full of stories about the troubles of our hospitals caused, in part, by bed-blockers – those fit to be discharged but with nowhere to go.

Almost, if not all, hospitals have a few empty wards, fully equipped with beds, that they cannot afford to open due to staff cutbacks.

NHS rules require that any open ward has a full complement of nursing staff and this costs a fortune.

The bed-blockers, by definition, don’t need anything like this level of care and are claimed to only need the care provided by the semi-skilled itinerant carers under the command of the local social services department, who appear to be in short supply.

Is it too difficult to suggest that the local social services could rent these spare wards?

The only cost to the hospital would be power, heat and security while the social services would get cheap temporary accommodation until they can find a permanent solution.

Why can’t this be done?

A Foster, Peterlee