A PARLIAMENTARY pressure group is undertaking a survey in the Furness area to find out whether there are care home beds available for patients who are stuck in hospital.

The Forum of Private Business, which represents 25,000 privately-owned businesses nationally, is questioning care home owners in the Furness General Hospital area.

The survey comes after figures were released showing there are 59 elderly people stuck in FGH who do not need hospital treatment and yet have nowhere to go, also known as delayed transfers of care.

The Forum of Private Business local development officer Chris Gilsenan said that he believed there were beds available in the Ulverston area.

Mr Gilsenan said: "If the beds are within a few miles of the hospital, surely it is better for the taxpayer to pay only a third of the cost of a hospital bed, with private care beds, and provide transport assistance if necessary for visitors to see patients.

"If the hospitals trust, social services and the private sector at all levels could talk and resolve the many complicated issues they could save taxpayers' money and clear the hospital waiting list at a stroke."

Mr Gilsenan said he had already visited two homes in the Ulverston area where each had two vacancies, and he was going to extend his survey into the Grange-over-Sands area.

When the survey is completed the forum will pass it to health and social services bodies.

Copies can be obtained by ringing 01229-869314.

l Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust heard that in addition to the FGH delayed transfers of care, there were 14 in Kendal' s Westmorland General Hospital and nine at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.

A report by a Department of Health scrutiny team into the problems in South Cumbria is shortly to be made public, and is expected to recommend closer working between health providers and social services.

The trust board also heard that the number of delayed transfers of care was continuing to cause the cancellation of operations because of a shortage of beds.