Record number of NHS mental health patients kept in hospitals longer than necessary

Lack of care and support leaves patients stranded on units when they are clinically ready to be discharged

The number of patients stuck in NHS mental health units in England despite being clinically ready to leave has reached its highest level in at least eight years.

Delayed discharges" of patients from hospitals in NHS mental health trusts reached 49,677 days in March, according to an analysis - a higher figure than in any month since at least January 2016, when NHS Digital started publishing the data.