More than 40 “bed blocker” patients are taking up beds in hospitals across Sussex.

The patients no longer need urgent treatment but are having to wait until a nursing or care home place becomes available.

The delay has a knock-on effect on other hospital departments such as accident and emergency as other patients have to wait longer for a bed to become vacant.

Hospitals say they are working closely with social services and community trusts to increase the number of respite care beds available throughout the county to ease the pressures.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, currently has 20 patients classed as bed blockers.

This is an improvement on last year when it generally dealt with an average of 40.

A further eight patients are waiting to leave Worthing Hospital and Southlands Hospital in Shoreham.

Six patients at Eastbourne District General Hospital and nine at the Conquest Hospital in St Leonards are also having to stay in hospital until a place can be found for them.

A spokeswoman for Brighton and Sussex Trust said: “We have been doing a lot of work with our local primary care trusts and social services to reduce the number of patients who remain in a hospital bed for longer than they need hospital care."