One reader thinks action on the problem of bed blocking needs to be taken now. What do you think?

It was common practice for many years that people in hospital who had had their operation and needed only a short period of recuperation afterwards were automatically transferred to one of the many small cottage hospitals scattered all over Norfolk if it was not possible for them to go straight home.

That has now all changed because all these valuable small hospitals have nearly all been closed down for financial reasons and the N&NUH today finds that patients who are not fit enough for clinical reasons to be discharged are left bed blocking because there is no care available for them to go straight back home.

One solution could be to reopen any of the Norwich residential care homes that were closed to enable the hospital bed blockers who needed no more hospital treatment to be moved there until a proper care package could be arranged for them in their own homes.

Our health secretary said in an interview recently that he was working on plans to solve this problem but would give no details but we need action now, not next year or the year after.

Do you agree with our reader? Let us know in the comments below or write to us at edpletters@archant.co.uk