South East: 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 South East NHS region?
As of May 2026, the Gera Delayed Discharge Index for the South East NHS region is 84.1 / 100 (higher = worse), ranked 1 of 7 regions. Only 34.0% of patients who no longer met the criteria to reside were discharged each day, with an average of 3,525 stuck a day. NHS England valued the month's 72,067 delayed bed days at £40,501,654. Gera re-dates this monthly.
| Measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Gera Delayed Discharge Index | 84.1 / 100 | Higher = worse; most severe delays |
| Discharged per day | 34.0% | Of patients no longer meeting criteria to reside |
| Stuck per day (avg) | 3,525 | No longer meet the criteria to reside |
| Delayed bed days (month) | 72,067 | Estimated cost £40,501,654 |
| 21+ day chronicity | 86.5% | Share of 7+ day delayed bed-days from 21+ day stays |
| vs England index | +6.2 | England 77.9 / 100 |
Delayed Discharge Index by ICB in South East (May 2026)
| ICB | Delayed Discharge Index | Discharged / day | Cost of delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surrey and Sussex | 92.4 / 100 | 24.3% | £13,476,760 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 84.4 / 100 | 32.4% | £13,106,402 |
| Kent and Medway | 79.9 / 100 | 38.1% | £7,230,130 |
| Thames Valley | 73.9 / 100 | 46.7% | £6,688,362 |
Open any ICB for its full figures: Surrey and Sussex · Hampshire and Isle of Wight · Kent and Medway · Thames Valley
Discharge delays in other NHS regions
South East discharge delays: FAQs
- What is the Delayed Discharge Index for South East?
- For May 2026, the Gera Delayed Discharge Index for the South East NHS region is 84.1 / 100 (higher = worse), ranked 1 of 7 NHS England regions. Only 34.0% of patients who no longer met the criteria to reside were discharged each day, with an average of 3,525 stuck a day across the region's Integrated Care Boards.
- Which ICB in South East has the worst discharge delays?
- Surrey and Sussex scores highest (most severe) in South East on the Gera Delayed Discharge Index at 92.4 / 100, with 24.3% of ready patients discharged each day and an average of 1,022 patients a day no longer meeting the criteria to reside.
- How does South East compare with England overall?
- England's national Gera Delayed Discharge Index is 77.9 / 100 in May 2026. South East is at 84.1 / 100 — more severe delays than the national average. 40.7% of ready patients were discharged per day nationally, versus 34.0% in South East.
- 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 South East's 72,067 delayed bed days in May 2026 at £40,501,654. This page is information, not medical advice.
Acute beds are scarce where delays are high
The Delayed Discharge Index across South East is 84.1 / 100, with only 34.0% 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).