Hospital discharges limiting home care in England, councils say

Authorities say attempts to clear NHS backlogs sucking up scant funds at expense of preventive care

Vulnerable people face being denied basic preventive social care at home due to a wave of rapid discharges from hospitals that is sucking up resources, council bosses have warned.

Despite cross-party support for more early care at home, town hall officials are having to allocate resources to people with more complex needs, many discharged from hospital early as part of attempts to clear NHS backlogs.