The Gera Delayed Discharge Index

Gera Delayed Discharge Index: FAQs

What is the Gera Delayed Discharge Index?

The Gera Delayed Discharge Index (GDDI) is a single 0–100 score for how severe hospital discharge delays are — patients who are medically ready to leave but remain stuck in an acute bed. Higher means worse. For May 2026 the national index is 77.9 / 100. It is computed transparently from the real NHS England Acute Discharge Situation Report, with the full formula published on the methodology page.

What is a delayed discharge?

Every day NHS England records how many acute inpatients (18+) no longer meet the criteria to reside — they are clinically ready to leave — and, of those, how many are actually discharged. A patient who stays despite no longer needing the bed is a delayed discharge, usually waiting on social care, a care-home place, home adaptations or community services. It is the successor to the discontinued Delayed Transfers of Care (DTOC) collection.

How is the index calculated?

It blends two size-independent NHS rate metrics. The throughput-shortfall component scores the share of no-longer-fit-to-reside patients NOT discharged the same day, against an 80% reference ceiling (weighted 60%). The chronicity component scores the share of 7+ day delayed bed-days that come from patients stuck 21+ days (weighted 40%). GDDI = 0.6 × shortfall + 0.4 × chronicity, rounded to one decimal place. Every input is the real published NHS number; only the scaling and weighting are Gera's, and both are fully disclosed.

What does the index say right now?

For May 2026, the national Gera Delayed Discharge Index is 77.9 / 100. On an average day 22,396 patients no longer met the criteria to reside, and only 40.7% of ready patients were discharged each day. NHS England put the cost of the 412,026 delayed bed days that month at £231,558,612.

Which part of England has the worst discharge delays?

Across the 7 NHS England regions, South East scores highest (most severe) on the Gera Delayed Discharge Index at 84.1 / 100 (34.0% of ready patients discharged per day), while East of England scores lowest at 67.6 / 100 (50.4% discharged per day).

Which ICB has the worst discharge delays?

Of the 38 Integrated Care Boards and NHS systems reporting to the Acute Discharge Situation Report, Surrey and Sussex (South East) scores highest on the Gera Delayed Discharge Index at 92.4 / 100, and Essex (East of England) lowest at 48.4 / 100.

Is a higher score good or bad?

Higher is worse: a higher Gera Delayed Discharge Index means a bigger share of ready patients left stuck each day and more of the delay coming from very-long-stay (21+ day) patients. A score near 0 would mean almost everyone medically ready is discharged promptly with no long-stay tail.

Why do discharge delays matter?

Delayed discharges are bad for patients and for the whole system. Staying in hospital when you no longer need to raises the risk of deconditioning, falls and hospital-acquired infection, especially for older people. The occupied beds also block A&E admissions and elective surgery, so discharge delays are a leading driver of A&E crowding and long waits. NHS England valued the 412,026 delayed bed days in May 2026 at £231,558,612.

How often is the index updated?

NHS England publishes the Acute Discharge Situation Report monthly. Gera recomputes the index on each release. The figures on this page are for May 2026 and were last recomputed on 3 July 2026.

What does the index NOT show?

The index covers acute (Type 1 trust) discharge delays in England only, for adults 18+. It excludes paediatric, maternity and community-hospital delays, and it does not tell you about any individual patient's care. The criteria-to-reside test is an operational discharge standard, not a clinical-urgency judgement. This page is information, not medical advice.