Leicester Royal Infirmary is part of the University of Leicester Trust

Elderly patients in Leicester's three main hospitals are to be told to leave their beds as soon as they are medically fit.

The new strategy to stop so called "bed blocking" starts in August.

Patients admitted to the hospitals will be warned when they arrive that they will not be allowed to stay in hospital once they are recovered.

At the moment 25 medical beds a month are blocked by people who are better - but are not well enough to go home.

Necessary measures

Under the new plan they will be discharged from either the Glenfield Hospital, Leicester General Hospital or Leicester Royal Infirmary to a care home

If their first choice is not available they will still have to move to another one temporarily until it is.

Managers at the hospital say the pressure on beds is caused by increasing numbers of emergency admissions.

They say the measures are not ideal but are necessary in order to free up vital beds and are designed to reduce waiting times in the accident and emergency unit.