The bed blocking crisis in south Essex has been eased, thanks to Castle Point Council.

Councillors spoke out after south Essex was named and shamed by the Government because around 15 per cent of beds were blocked.

This means they are taken up by people who are medically fit to be discharged, but have nowhere to go.

Castle Point Council's chairman of environmental health, Joe Cooke, said a vital decision to keep live-in wardens operating within sheltered housing in Castle Point has helped ease the problem.

He said: "Part of the council housing we provide is specifically set aside for the elderly and disabled and has been designed for these people by incorporating a live-in warden.

"We retained these early last year despite them being under threat when we were looking at a report saying that we should not have live-in wardens.

"We retained our sheltered housing to assist the process of supporting people in the community and this would have helped reduce the problem of getting people out of hospital and back into the community in Castle Point."

Published Thursday, February 21, 2002