A PSYCHIATRIC hospital in Basingstoke has seen hundreds of bed days wasted in the last three years because of bed blocking.

A Gazette freedom of information request has found valuable space at the busy Parklands Hospital, in Aldermaston Road, is being taken up simply because correct care packages cannot be speedily secured for patients in the community.

Figures show that last year alone, there were 200 bed days lost when six patients were marooned in the 69-bed hospital – that is a 471 per cent increase since 2007.

One patient last year languished in limbo for 67 days on the wards, and another for 56 days. In 2008, 127 bed days were lost.

Hampshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, said social services staff need to organise personalised care for patients in the community before they can be discharged.

Jamie Stevenson, trust communications and media manager, said: “They (the patients) need very specific support, and putting a care plan together can take time.” There were currently no patients stuck on the wards, he added.

Councillor Felicity Hindson, Hampshire County Council executive member for adult social care, admitted the blockages were caused because correct care packages sometimes take a long time to fix up.

She said: “Although patients may be medically fit for discharge from an acute bed, they may have other complex needs.” However, she added that the county council is working to help reduce bed blockages across the county’s psychiatric hospitals.

One method is to roll out 55 “step down” beds across the county in its own care homes, as well as commissioned beds within the independent sector.

Cllr Hindson added: “These beds are part of a structured programme of free support and care for six weeks, enabling people to find their feet again, and giving them time to decide whether they can cope at home.”