Just under one quarter of hospital beds at Dorset County Hospital are being taken up by patients fit to be discharged, new figures show.

Dozens of beds were occupied last month by people ready to be discharged with NHS Dorset saying that comes down to a range of factors.

NHS England figures show an average of 79 beds per day were occupied by people ready to be discharged from Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in October – though this was down from 81 the month before.

This equates to just under 25% of the daily capacity at Dorset County Hospital with a spokesperson saying, excluding maternity, there were 340 ‘adult general and acute beds’.

Dean Spencer, Chief Operating Officer NHS Dorset, said “It is important that as soon as a person is medically ready to leave hospital, they should be discharged, not just for their own recovery but also to make room for new admissions, meaning ambulance crews and emergency staff can attend to other patients.

 “We are of course aware that a timely discharge into the care of families, friends or further care is not always straightforward, and many people require further care including administering medicine or changing dressing alongside more everyday help such as preparing meals or shopping.

 “Staff have a responsibility to patients, and every day we work closely with members of the public and our partners at local care homes or community hospitals to ensure those who are discharged get the correct support – sometimes this may take longer that we would like.

“As health and social care services continue to be stretched, the role of relatives is very highly valued, and we thank those who have helped support getting their loved ones out of hospital.”

Across the country, the average number of occupied beds has risen consistently since the summer, from 11,590 per day in June to 13,305 in September and 13,613 last month, the highest monthly figure since comparable data began in December 2021.

The Department for Health and Social Care recently announced that an additional £500 million would be spent on speeding up the release of patients from hospital – but health think tank the King's Fund said this is not sufficient to deal with the problem.

David Maguire, senior analyst at the King's Fund, said the problem is "another chapter in an ongoing story" as the NHS continues to deal with post-coronavirus pandemic pressures and stretched budgets.

Mr Maguire said: "It’s not crept up on anyone and is a continuation of the pressures we have seen on social care over several years.

"The sector is hitting a tipping point."