There is a rising demand for health services due to an ageing population with  increasingly complex healthcare needs. Across the country, there are substantial  pressures on hospital beds, with people experiencing lengthy waits to be admitted and ambulances facing difficulties handing patients to emergency departments. Contributing
to this is the large number of people remaining in hospital despite being clinically ready to leave — referred to as a ‘delayed discharge’. In December 2022, an average of 13,440 patients a day remained in hospital despite no longer meeting the criteria to stay. This is 30% more than the daily average for December 2021 (House of Commons Library, 2023). As well as increasing pressures on hospital capacity, delayed discharges can lead to poorer outcomes for individuals and ontribute to a loss of independence. Having a method of discharging patients and preventing bed blocking is therefore essential in
managing patient flow and subsequently enhancing patient quality of life. The Care Act (2014) placed a statutory responsibility on local authorities to provide services which prevent or delay the need for care and support, or minimise the need for additional care and support (Department of Health, 2014). One such initiative that was reported to be commonplace among local authorities during this period is ‘singlehanded care’.