The number of hospital bed days lost to so-called 'bed blockers' across NHS hospitals in England has risen by 11 per cent in the past year, official figures show.
The rise comes after years of success in tackling the problem, and illustrates growing pressures on the NHS and social services.
According to Department of Health statistics, the number of hospital bed days lost to bed blockers rose from 115,648 during September and October 2010, to 128,517 in the same two-month period this year.
That comes after a sustained period of falls between 2003 and 2009, as a result of concerted ministerial action to tackle the problem.
With the average cost of providing a hospital bed for a day estimated at £255, that means the daily NHS bill for bed-blockers has risen from £483,000 to £537,000.
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