HUNDREDS of patients who are well enough to go home will have to spend Christmas in hospital because of "bed blocking".

A month ago, The Northern Echo carried out a survey which showed that 228 patients were awaiting discharge from seven hospital trusts.

Last week a survey of the same hospitals showed that there are still 218 patients who are occupying hospital beds, even though they are well enough to be transferred into residential accommodation.

Doctors believe there is probably the equivalent of an entire hospital of blocked beds in the North-East, with some patients waiting up to four months to be discharged.

While the low level of flu in the region has helped hospitals manage demand, there is concern that blocked beds will lead to cancelled operations and longer waits for treatment.

Most of the problems are caused because cash-starved social services departments have little money left to pay for places in private nursing and residential homes.

In some cases, patients are unwilling to leave hospital until a place in their preferred nursing home or residential home is secured.

Despite a Department of Health injection of £5.5m - to tackle delayed discharges - many hospitals are still struggling with blocked beds.

One of the worst hit, South Durham Health Care NHS Trust, where a total of 59 patients are in limbo, has asked its surgeons to cut back on the number of operations in January until the backlog can be cleared.

Bosses at North Durham Health Care NHS Trust - where a total of 33 patients are awaiting discharge - plan to open additional beds in one of the trust's community hospitals.

A spokeswoman for the trust, which runs the University Hospital of North Durham, Shotley Bridge Hospital and Chester-le-Street Hospital, said: "Through joint working with social services and the primary care groups, we are opening 20 additional community beds in the New Year."

Len Fenwick, chief executive of the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We have around 60 blocked beds, roughly the same as a month ago."

Annette Hurndall, divisional manager for medicine at South Tees Health Care NHS Trust, said that about 25 beds were blocked.

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust had 20 blocked beds - two at Hartlepool, 18 at North Tees. Gateshead Health Care had 20 and Northallerton Health Care had one blocked bed