More than £3bn will be ‘wasted' in the next five years on caring for NHS patients who no longer need medical care and are seen as ‘bed-blocking', according to a report by an independent think-tank.

The report, Care after Cure: Creating a fast track pathway from hospitals to homes, by the ResPublica think-tank, shows that hospitals are under increasing strain in terms of capacity and finance, with the NHS likely to spend £3.3bn by 2020/21 caring for patients who could be discharged.