Essex: Hospital Discharge Delays
Real NHS England discharge data for May 2026 for the Essex Integrated Care Board in the East of England NHS region — scored on the Gera Delayed Discharge Index (higher = worse).
How bad are hospital discharge delays at Essex ICB?
As of May 2026, the Gera Delayed Discharge Index for Essex (East of England) is 48.4 / 100 (higher = worse), ranked 38 of 38 ICBs. Only 63.4% of patients who no longer met the criteria to reside were discharged each day, with an average of 417 stuck a day. NHS England valued the month's 4,738 delayed bed days at £2,662,756. Gera re-dates this monthly.
| Measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Gera Delayed Discharge Index | 48.4 / 100 | Higher = worse; moderate delays |
| Discharged per day | 63.4% | Of patients no longer meeting criteria to reside |
| Stuck per day (avg) | 417 | No longer meet the criteria to reside |
| Delayed bed days (month) | 4,738 | Estimated cost £2,662,756 |
| 21+ day chronicity | 52.2% | Share of 7+ day delayed bed-days from 21+ day stays |
| vs England index | -29.5 | England 77.9 / 100 |
Other ICBs in East of England
Essex discharge delays: FAQs
- What is the Delayed Discharge Index for Essex ICB?
- For May 2026, the Gera Delayed Discharge Index for Essex (East of England) is 48.4 / 100 (higher = worse), ranked 38 of 38 Integrated Care Boards and NHS systems. Only 63.4% of patients who no longer met the criteria to reside were discharged each day, with an average of 417 stuck a day.
- How much did discharge delays cost in Essex?
- NHS England recorded 4,738 delayed bed days in Essex in May 2026. At the NHS reference unit cost of £562 per acute bed day, that is an estimated £2,662,756 of care delivered to patients who no longer needed an acute bed.
- How does Essex compare with England overall?
- England's national Gera Delayed Discharge Index is 77.9 / 100 in May 2026. Essex is at 48.4 / 100 — less severe delays than the national average. 40.7% of ready patients were discharged per day nationally, versus 63.4% at Essex.
- 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 Essex is 48.4 / 100, with only 63.4% 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).