BEDBLOCKING involving Newport patients will worsen during the next two or three months because Newport city council is running short of cash to fund care home places and support packages, a social services chief has warned.

Newport bedblockers, officially known as delayed transfers of care, numbered 37 in December, the latest available figure.

This is well below the target of 50 required by the Assembly by the end of March. But with the council now operating a one in, one out system for care home placements, and home care packages to try to control spending, social services director Ellis Williams predicts bedblocking numbers will rise.

"One in, one out is a very crude way of describing a complex process, but it does describe this situation," Mr Williams told Newport Local Health Board.

"Demand (for places and packages) has been fantastic this year. My guess is the situation must worsen, but I think the system is as competent as it can get.

"We will hit our target, but the outcome might be less successful than some of the figures we have achieved this year."

Bedblocking involving Newport patients has been on or below the target figure for the eight months to December.

Of the 37 Newport bedblockers in December, eight were delayed for social services reasons, compared to a target for this category of 24, and five were delayed for health reasons such as lack of or incomplete rehabilitation procedures. This compared to a category target of 12.

But 21 patients were delayed for patient, family, legal or other reasons, like disputes over the choice of care home or package, seven above the category target. Three complex cases were delayed as no appropriate placements were available.

Eight patients were blocking beds at the Royal Gwent, eight at St Cadoc's and 21 in community hospitals, in this case St Woolos and Chepstow.