Delays in patients leaving hospital because their care arrangements weren’t in place almost got Hackney’s healthcare funding withheld last year.

The borough’s poor record meant in July, August and September 2017 there were 2,473 overnight stays due to delays in discharging people. The figure was in the bottom quarter nationally and 22 per cent above the target of 2,032.

Town hall meeting papers show the figure resulted in a letter from the government threatening to hold back Better Care Fund money, which is given to the health officials and council so they can manage their own community care system.

Since then there has been a steady improvement, the council said, although there was another increase in delays March this year.

Now a pilot has been launched where patients are discharged first, and then assessed in their homes.

“This provides a better quality assessment of the patient’s needs post-discharge and further reduces delays to discharge,” a report stated.

Eight patients have been discharged this way so far, with the council saying all cases have gone well.