BED-BLOCKING in Gwent hospitals fell last month to its lowest level for several years.

Sixty eight patients occupied beds although deemed fit for discharge - compared to 91 in both October and November.

Health bosses say that the December figure reflects much work done in the run-up to Christmas, creating capacity in case of more admissions after the festive season.

They are delighted with the reduction, as bed-blocking figures have fallen from 280 less than two years ago.

A report to Gwent Healthcare Trust board warns that the situation with delayed transfers of care, as such cases are known, is fragile and liable to sudden increases.

Sixty per cent of bed-blockers in Gwent in December were from Newport (22) and Torfaen (19), but this was the fourth monthly reduction in Newport patients, while the number of Torfaen patients delayed due to lack of funding for a care home place fell from 20 in November to eight.

Blaenau Gwent had the fewest bed-blockers, with just two, neither of whom had waited more than two weeks, and the report praises the "excellent performance" of health and social services in the area. They ensured patients were discharged to their homes or care placements as quickly as possible.

'Rapid response' and other projects play an increasing role in ensuring elderly and other vulnerable patients have the outside support they need to enable quicker discharge.

In Blaenau Gwent this enabled the trust and Local Health Board to close Ebbw Vale Hospital. Two years ago, senior health managers admitted it was a care home in all but name, with most of its 23 beds blocked.

Improvements meant that increasing numbers of empty beds was one of the reasons put forward last summer for its closure. Wales-wide, there were 621 patients blocking beds in December.

Last month, 4.1 per cent of hospital beds in Gwent were blocked, compared with an all-Wales average of 4.9 per cent.