Bed blocking crisis

The number of people stuck in hospital stood at 64 at the end of last month across both the Conquest and Eastbourne's DGH.

David Townsley, director of finance at East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "Delayed transfers of care (bed blockers) are still causing us concern.

"The levels are still considerably above national levels.

"At the end of last month seven per cent of our bedstock was taken up by people who no longer needed to be in hospital."

The Government recommends that 1.5 per cent of a hospital's beds should be blocked at any one time.

Bed-blocking figures change every week.

But the Trust, which runs both the Conquest and Eastbourne DGH, is performing well in other areas.

Only 10 operations were cancelled across both hospitals during September, which is well within the Government's tolerance level of 0.5 per cent of operations.

However bosses have overspent by 3.5million since the new financial year started in April.

It has a long-standing debt of 5million which has built up since 2002.

Bosses expect to clear 1.6million