Bed blocking at hospitals in the Black Country and Staffordshire saw more than 3,200 days lost to the NHS in just one month, it emerged today.

Hundreds of patients were left in vital hospital beds even though they were well enough to be discharged during November.

This is because councils are too slow in organising social services care for elderly and vulnerable patients who are then unable to leave hospital. It comes as hospitals are struggling to cope with the winter pressure.

In total across the area there were 3,245 days lost in November when beds could have been made available for sick patients.

At New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton there were 605 days lost due to delays, compared to 518 at Stafford Hospital.

The Dudley Group of Hospitals saw 497 days lost to delays while Walsall Manor suffered 89 days of lost bed capacity.

Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospital NHS Trust, which runs City Hospital in Birmingham, Sandwell General Hospital in West Bromwich and Rowley Regis Hospital in Rowley Regis, lost 1,401 days.

David Loughton, chief executive at New Cross Hospital, said today: “The availability of beds is extremely important for our service.

“We are trying to identify what needs to happen to overcome delays that are beyond our control.

“We understand that unnecessary delays are not good enough, which is why we are doing everything in our power to speed up this process for the sake of our patients and their families.”

Manjit Obhrai, medical director at Stafford Hospital, said: “We liaise with social services to make sure that plans are in place for any elderly patients who need further care once they have left hospital.

“This does sometimes mean that there is a delay in the patient leaving hospital until a place in a suitable home is located.”

Councillor Matthew Ellis, cabinet member for social care in Staffordshire, said the county council was responsible for 98 days lost at Stafford Hospital.

He said he was confident the situation would improve when the council launches a new “reablement” service in March.