Empty Southend care beds are criminal says health boss
A care home manager said it was "criminal" that more hospital patients were not being discharged into empty beds within the community.
Michael Daley, who is also chair of the South Essex Care and Health Association, said he did not understand why some homes were not being used.
's records showed there were 45 empty beds across 17 care homes in the area.
Southend Hospital said it worked "closely with partners".
"If you are in hospital for weeks on end, I think it's pretty criminal to be honest," said Mr Daley, resident manager at Cavell Lodge in Leigh-on-Sea, speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
"I don't understand why they are not being placed in some of these [care homes].
"We're in a crisis situation. Surely it would be better to move somebody elderly into a warm home, which is more homely than keeping them in an acute area blocking the bed for somebody that needs it."
Southend-on-Sea City Council is reluctant to place patients in care homes rated inadequate or requires improvement by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
's register showed that Melrose House in Southend, rated requires improvement, had 15 unoccupied beds. Abbeyfield care home in Westcliff is rated good but has nine empty beds. 
Latest figures from the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust showed that Southend, Basildon and Broomfield hospitals had an average of 93 patients at the end of each day, during October, who "no longer met the criteria to reside".
Southend Hospital CQC inspection, however, concluded that the discharge of surgery and medical care patients was "in line with good practice".
Kay Mitchell, the council's Labour cabinet member for adult social care and health integration, said homes rated requires improvement, or below, were found "to not be delivering good quality care".
She added that the council kept in contact with homes to find beds for the "small number" who needed them.
A spokeswoman for the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System, on behalf of the Trust, said it "continues to work closely with partners across the wider health and care system to ensure our patients are discharged safely and when they are clinically ready".
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