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Testing the bed-blocking hypothesis: does higher supply of nursing and care homes reduce delayed hospital discharges?

Author

Listed:
  • James Gaughan

    (Centre for Health Economics, University of York, UK)

  • Hugh Gravelle

    (Centre for Health Economics, University of York, UK)

  • Luigi Siciliani

    (Department of Economics and Related Studies and Centre for Health Economics, University of York, UK)

Abstract

Hospital bed blocking occurs when hospital patients are ready to be discharged to a nursing home but no place is available, so that hospital care acts as a more costly substitute for long-term care. We investigate the extent to which higher supply of nursing home beds or lower prices can reduce hospital bed blocking. We use new Local Authority level administrative data from England on hospital delayed discharges in 2010-13. The results suggest that delayed discharges do respond to the availability of care-home beds but the effect is modest: an increase in care-homes bed by 10% (250 additional beds per Local Authority) would reduce delayed discharges by about 4%-7%. We also find strong evidence of spillover effects across Local Authorities are associated with fewer delayed discharges.

Suggested Citation

  • James Gaughan & Hugh Gravelle & Luigi Siciliani, 2014. "Testing the bed-blocking hypothesis: does higher supply of nursing and care homes reduce delayed hospital discharges?," Working Papers 102cherp, Centre for Health Economics, University of York.
    • Handle: RePEc:chy:respap:102cherp
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    Cited by:

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    3. Jim G. Dai & Pengyi Shi, 2021. "Recent Modeling and Analytical Advances in Hospital Inpatient Flow Management," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 30(6), pages 1838-1862, June.
    4. Dan Liu & Maria Lucia Pace & Maria Goddard & Rowena Jacobs & Raphael Wittenberg & Anne Mason, 2021. "Investigating the relationship between social care supply and healthcare utilization by older people in England," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(1), pages 36-54, January.
    5. Joan Costa‐Font & Edward C. Norton & Luigi Siciliani & James Gaughan & Hugh Gravelle & Luigi Siciliani, 2017. "Delayed Discharges and Hospital Type: Evidence from the English NHS," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 38, pages 495-519, September.
    6. Moura, Ana, 2021. "Essays in health economics," Other publications TiSEM c93abd22-fa4a-42a5-b172-d, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    7. Rowena Crawford & George Stoye & Ben Zaranko, 2018. "The impact of cuts to social care spending on the use of Accident and Emergency departments in England," IFS Working Papers W18/15, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    8. Conor Keegan & Aoife Brick & Brendan Walsh & Adele Bergin & James Eighan & Maev‐Ann Wren, 2019. "How many beds? Capacity implications of hospital care demand projections in the Irish hospital system, 2015‐2030," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(1), pages 569-582, January.
    9. Snorre Kverndokk & Hans Olav Melberg, 2021. "Using fees to reduce bed-blocking: a game between hospitals and long-term care providers," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 22(6), pages 931-949, August.
    10. Maria Lucia Pace & Dan Liu & Maria Goddard & Rowena Jacobs & Raphael Wittenberg & Gerard McGonigal & Anne Mason, 2020. "The relationship between social care resources and healthcare utilisation by older people in England:an exploratory investigation," Working Papers 174cherp, Centre for Health Economics, University of York.
    11. Manuel Serrano-Alarcón & Helena Hernández-Pizarro & Guillem López i Casasnovas & Catia Nicodemo, 2021. "The effect of Long-Term Care (LTC) benefits on healthcare use," Working Papers 2021-12, FEDEA.
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    13. Francesco Longo & Karl Claxton & James Lomas & Stephen Martin, 2021. "Does public long‐term care expenditure improve care‐related quality of life of service users in England?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(10), pages 2561-2581, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    delayed discharges; long-term care; nursing and care homes; bed blocking; substitution;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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