The fact of people being kept in hospital because other forms of care are not available, which means that other people cannot be treated.
The term ‘bed-blockers’ is derogatory and should not be used. It implies the continued occupation of a hospital bed by patients who are fit to be discharged but cannot go home, usually because they need further care in a nursing home or in a community setting that cannot be arranged because of lack of suitable facilities and/or funding. Bed-blocking has become a common phenomenon in the NHS, particularly in the winter. The result is that patients who need inpatient care cannot always be admitted.