Hospitals Grapple with Medically Fit Patients Occupying Beds

In November 2025, a concerning situation has unfolded in the hospitals run by the University Hospital Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust. According to government figures, 20.9% of adult acute beds in the hospitals serving Lancaster, Kendal, and Barrow were occupied by patients who were medically fit to be discharged. This is 6.1% higher than the England average for September 2025.

The root cause of this problem is a lack of adequate social care in the area, as highlighted by Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron. Patients who are ready to leave the hospital are unable to do so due to the unavailability of appropriate social care support. Farron has described this as a "tragedy" for both the patients stuck in hospital and those who want to return to their lives but cannot access the necessary care.

The Department of Health and Social Care has acknowledged the issue and claims to have started preparing for the upcoming winter "earlier than ever before." They are also "ramping up vaccination programmes" and "stress testing hospital plans" in coordination with care homes and local leaders. However, Farron has urged the government to bring forward its plans to tackle the social care crisis, as the independent commission on adult social care is not due to publish its final report until 2028.

The department has stated that it has issued "clear guidance to support faster, safer hospital discharge," but the situation in Lancaster, Kendal, and Barrow suggests that more needs to be done, particularly in addressing the staffing shortages in the social care sector. Farron has called for care workers to be paid wages that reflect the "incredible work" they do.