A NORTH Yorkshire MP has criticised Government plans to fine social services thousands of pounds amid a crisis that is "of their own creation".

North Yorkshire County Council face charges of about £6,000 a day if Government plans to ease the problem of bed blocking at hospitals are introduced.

Social services departments (SSDs) are being told they will have to pay a speculated £100 a day for each patient who is fit to leave hospital but who has to stay there because of a shortage of spaces in nursing homes.

Anne McIntosh, MP for the Vale of York, has written to the Health Secretary Alan Milburn about the issue.

She said: "Bed blocking cannot be cured simply by penalising local authorities, and these plans give no incentive to the NHS to reduce demand for acute hospital care.

"Ministers are trying to dodge the fact that the growing crisis in caring for the elderly in the community is one of their own creation."

Miss McIntosh claimed that the number of people receiving care at home has fallen dramatically, creating extra pressure on residential care homes. Increasingly, these homes are facing tougher regulations and are closing.

She wants to see a number of measures taken to tackle this crisis, including a repeal on regulations, new insurance schemes introduced to prevent the elderly having to sell their homes to pay for care and a break down in the divide between health and social services.

David Billing, labour spokesperson for North Yorkshire social services, similarly believes the two services should be working together to solve the problem.

He said: "These fines are not the best solution and I think would just lead to constant arguments between the NHS and SSDs. There needs to be more talks to see exactly what should be done."

A Government spokeswoman said: "SSDs may face fines for every additional day that a patient, who is fit and safe, is in a hospital bed, but no figures have been stated.

"They are not really 'fines', but compensation to the NHS when a patient isn't getting the proper service that the council needs to provide."