A COUNCILLOR has blasted a case of bed-blocking that has gone on at Dudley's main hospital for nearly 500 days as a "tremendous waste of resources".

Health chiefs have stressed they have been working hard to resolve the situation, involving a patient at Russells Hall Hospital who has been medically fit to be discharged for more than 490 days, but the saga this week rumbled on.

Pedmore and Stourbridge East councillor Ian Kettle highlighted the case at a cabinet meeting at Dudley Council House and he told the News the individual involved, whose identity has not been revealed, has "probably denied hundreds of patients a bed" during the time spent occupying it while awaiting transfer to a permanent community setting.

Dudley News:

Cllr Kettle (pictured above) said: "It's a sad state of affairs that things have gone on this long."

Councillor Nicolas Barlow, Dudley's cabinet member for adult social care, said of the situation: “The safety and welfare of an individual is always our priority.

"In this case, we have been working closely with the CCG and the patient’s family to find and agree a solution that provides the best possible care."

Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Diane Wake (pictured below) would not divulge the reason for the patient's extra long stay in hospital and said: "We are aware the family of the patient are in discussion with Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group and Dudley Council about finding an amicable resolution."

Dudley News: Diane Wake

Neill Bucktin, director of commissioning for Dudley CCG, stressed it has "a duty to work together with the patient and their family to ensure they are transferred as quickly as possible to release capacity in hospital for the admission of sick patients" but he added: "The CCG must ensure the service it proposes to commission is capable of meeting the needs of the patient, either in their own home or in residential care."

No-one would reveal how much the particular case highlighted has cost Dudley taxpayers but cllr Kettle described the situation as "a tremendous waste of resources" and he added: "It's embarrassing. They keep talking of a shortage of money - then you find costs of total absurdity."

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Mr Bucktin, of Dudley CCG, said: "The cost of this patient's care is covered by the contract the CCG holds with Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust.

"Both the council and the CCG have been in discussion with this patient regarding safe discharge arrangements. The family have been made aware of the arrangements which the CCG are able to make to enable a safe discharge without further delay and it continues to be a matter for them.”