Once again we read East Sussex County Council is not meeting its obligations and is leaving elderly people unnecessarily in hospital (August 1).

The council has reduced its number of places for care of the elderly, I believe, on purely political grounds.

It knows if it can blame bed blocking on central government this might, if successful, help the Tories at the next election,

Having said that, the public is now aware improvements for care homes are not required for another six years.

It was given a top limit of bed blocking patients of 149. This has now been exceeded and it deserves no sympathy if a government agency takes over social services department.

What I would like to see is a patient who is waiting for a bed take the council to court on the grounds of gross incompetence.

-Doug Lawrence, Rodmell Avenue, Saltdean