Black Country: Hospital Discharge Delays
Real NHS England discharge data for May 2026 for the Black Country Integrated Care Board in the Midlands NHS region — scored on the Gera Delayed Discharge Index (higher = worse).
How bad are hospital discharge delays at Black Country ICB?
As of May 2026, the Gera Delayed Discharge Index for Black Country (Midlands) is 58.4 / 100 (higher = worse), ranked 36 of 38 ICBs. Only 56.0% of patients who no longer met the criteria to reside were discharged each day, with an average of 401 stuck a day. NHS England valued the month's 5,472 delayed bed days at £3,075,264. Gera re-dates this monthly.
| Measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Gera Delayed Discharge Index | 58.4 / 100 | Higher = worse; high delays |
| Discharged per day | 56.0% | Of patients no longer meeting criteria to reside |
| Stuck per day (avg) | 401 | No longer meet the criteria to reside |
| Delayed bed days (month) | 5,472 | Estimated cost £3,075,264 |
| 21+ day chronicity | 63.6% | Share of 7+ day delayed bed-days from 21+ day stays |
| vs England index | -19.5 | England 77.9 / 100 |
Other ICBs in Midlands
- Northamptonshire (88.5 / 100)
- Lincolnshire (87.6 / 100)
- Coventry and Warwickshire (77.8 / 100)
- Birmingham and Solihull (76.4 / 100)
- Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (72.2 / 100)
- Herefordshire and Worcestershire (67.5 / 100)
- Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin (67.4 / 100)
- Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (64.4 / 100)
- Derby and Derbyshire (59.6 / 100)
- Staffordshire and Stoke-On-Trent (54.5 / 100)
- All of Midlands →
Black Country discharge delays: FAQs
- What is the Delayed Discharge Index for Black Country ICB?
- For May 2026, the Gera Delayed Discharge Index for Black Country (Midlands) is 58.4 / 100 (higher = worse), ranked 36 of 38 Integrated Care Boards and NHS systems. Only 56.0% of patients who no longer met the criteria to reside were discharged each day, with an average of 401 stuck a day.
- How much did discharge delays cost in Black Country?
- NHS England recorded 5,472 delayed bed days in Black Country in May 2026. At the NHS reference unit cost of £562 per acute bed day, that is an estimated £3,075,264 of care delivered to patients who no longer needed an acute bed.
- How does Black Country compare with England overall?
- England's national Gera Delayed Discharge Index is 77.9 / 100 in May 2026. Black Country is at 58.4 / 100 — less severe delays than the national average. 40.7% of ready patients were discharged per day nationally, versus 56.0% at Black Country.
- What counts as 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. Those who remain are delayed discharges, usually waiting on social care, a care-home place, home adaptations or community services. This page is information, not medical advice.
Beds are scarce where discharge delays are high
The Delayed Discharge Index at Black Country is 58.4 / 100, with only 56.0% of ready patients discharged each day. For a non-emergency, see a UK-registered GeraClinic doctor online, often the same day — a private service, not affiliated with the NHS. For a 999 emergency always call 999.
Contains public sector information published by Gera Systems and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (source data). Source: Gera Delayed Discharge Index — derived from the NHS England Acute Discharge Situation Report (May 2026, published 3 July 2026).