North West: Hospital Discharge Delays
Real NHS England discharge data for May 2026, across the Integrated Care Boards in this NHS region — scored on the Gera Delayed Discharge Index (higher = worse).
How bad are hospital discharge delays in the North West NHS region?
As of May 2026, the Gera Delayed Discharge Index for the North West NHS region is 81.4 / 100 (higher = worse), ranked 2 of 7 regions. Only 37.5% of patients who no longer met the criteria to reside were discharged each day, with an average of 3,505 stuck a day. NHS England valued the month's 67,927 delayed bed days at £38,174,974. Gera re-dates this monthly.
| Measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Gera Delayed Discharge Index | 81.4 / 100 | Higher = worse; most severe delays |
| Discharged per day | 37.5% | Of patients no longer meeting criteria to reside |
| Stuck per day (avg) | 3,505 | No longer meet the criteria to reside |
| Delayed bed days (month) | 67,927 | Estimated cost £38,174,974 |
| 21+ day chronicity | 86.2% | Share of 7+ day delayed bed-days from 21+ day stays |
| vs England index | +3.5 | England 77.9 / 100 |
Delayed Discharge Index by ICB in North West (May 2026)
| ICB | Delayed Discharge Index | Discharged / day | Cost of delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheshire and Merseyside | 83.9 / 100 | 33.6% | £17,558,004 |
| Greater Manchester | 83.3 / 100 | 36.6% | £14,201,178 |
| Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust | 75.1 / 100 | 51.8% | £816,586 |
| Lancashire and South Cumbria | 66.6 / 100 | 47.5% | £6,415,792 |
Open any ICB for its full figures: Cheshire and Merseyside · Greater Manchester · Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust · Lancashire and South Cumbria
Discharge delays in other NHS regions
North West discharge delays: FAQs
- What is the Delayed Discharge Index for North West?
- For May 2026, the Gera Delayed Discharge Index for the North West NHS region is 81.4 / 100 (higher = worse), ranked 2 of 7 NHS England regions. Only 37.5% of patients who no longer met the criteria to reside were discharged each day, with an average of 3,505 stuck a day across the region's Integrated Care Boards.
- Which ICB in North West has the worst discharge delays?
- Cheshire and Merseyside scores highest (most severe) in North West on the Gera Delayed Discharge Index at 83.9 / 100, with 33.6% of ready patients discharged each day and an average of 1,518 patients a day no longer meeting the criteria to reside.
- How does North West compare with England overall?
- England's national Gera Delayed Discharge Index is 77.9 / 100 in May 2026. North West is at 81.4 / 100 — more severe delays than the national average. 40.7% of ready patients were discharged per day nationally, versus 37.5% in North West.
- Why do discharge delays matter for patients?
- Staying in hospital when you no longer need to raises the risk of deconditioning, falls and hospital-acquired infection, especially for older people, and the occupied beds block A&E admissions and planned surgery. NHS England valued North West's 67,927 delayed bed days in May 2026 at £38,174,974. This page is information, not medical advice.
Acute beds are scarce where delays are high
The Delayed Discharge Index across North West is 81.4 / 100, with only 37.5% of ready patients discharged each day — beds fill and A&E admissions back up. 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).