Care provider capacity costs taxpayers £23 million in delayed discharges

21 October 2025 - For immediate release

More than £23 million was lost in delayed hospital discharges due a lack of care home and home care availability, the NHS’ September data reveals.

With the first official estimate of delayed discharge costs being released, the £562 cost of an NHS bed day reveals the most accurate findings relating to social care capacity yet.

More than 1,000 people were stuck in hospital for 14 days or more last month as they waited for an existing care package, care home or home care provider to become available.

Accounting for more than 10 per cent of the £219 million lost for all delayed discharge reasons, Elder Founder and CEO Pete Dowds said his home care technology had already moved more than 1,000 people from hospital to home, 973 of these within 72 hours.

With a pool of more than 5,000 vetted carers, Mr Dowds said Elder’s care recipient to carer matching technology, which has facilitated more than 100,000 matches across the UK, could immediately remove the backlog of people waiting in hospital for live-in care.

“Elder’s technology has helped thousands of families find quality, live-in carers for their loved ones in a matter of days, and in many cases, less than 24 hours,” he said.

“We urge hospital trusts and Integrated Care Boards to recognise that agile, tech-enabled home care is the fastest route to freeing up critical hospital bed capacity.

“In its 10 Year Health Plan for England, the NHS acknowledges it is ‘behind the technological curve’, yet in ten years it wants to be ‘the most AI-enabled health system in the world’.

“Our proprietary, AI powered technology is not a proposed solution, it’s a proven one.

“Refined over ten years and backed by our industry-leading engineering, data science, care advisor, clinical and customer support teams, Elder’s technology and carers can prevent wasted taxpayer spend, and more importantly, help people stuck in hospital return home sooner.”

In October this year, Ian Boulden contacted Elder to help get his father George from hospital to home in Warwickshire as soon as possible.

An infection had set in post hip surgery, so Mr Boulden knew home was the best place for his father to recover, both mentally and physically.

“When he was released it was clear that the infection had affected his mental health and he was not able to care for himself,” Mr Boulden said.

“It (Elder) was a very simple and speedy process, with initial contact on a Thursday and the career starting on the Sunday.

“My father was very happy with the care that he received from the carer over the four week period.”

Care England CEO Professor Martin Green OBE, has previously stated that hospital discharge delays were not a capacity issue, rather a planning, funding, and coordination issue.

“Care homes across England have been reporting admittable vacancies, yet the system is unable to utilise this capacity effectively,” he said.

ENDS

To arrange an interview and/or photo opportunity with Pete Dowds, or for further information, contact Mark Acheson on +447435332204 or macheson@elder.org

Images to download/use here.

How Elder’s technology helps get people out of hospital, safely and quickly

• Intelligent, fast matching: Utilising AI, Elder’s proprietary matching technology rapidly pairs people needing home care with self-employed carers based on care needs, lifestyle factors and even personality, hobbies and interests. This streamlines the lengthy social care assessment process.
• Immediate Capacity: Elder has 5,000 plus carers on its platform across England, Wales and Scotland. Elder can arrange care in days, not weeks. In many cases, Elder has helped arrange care within 24 hours.
• Peace of mind: Families can speak with carers and read reviews from others before selection. As a result, 9 out of 10 customers find their ideal carer the first time.
• Safety: All carers on Elder pass a rigorous screening which includes a background check, character and skills assessment, and verifiable professional references. Only two per cent of applicants are successful.
• Support for families: Elder has a dedicated clinical team, family support specialist and customer service team that can be accessed seven days a week.

About Elder: In its tenth year, Elder is an award-winning home care platform that matches older adults with self-employed carers for flexible and personalised live-in care across the UK. Founded on the principle that home is the best place to age, Elder is committed to delivering solutions that enhance patient dignity and provide families with peace of mind. Elder has helped to deliver more than 15 million hours of home care across the UK.