THE consequences of the so-called bed-blocking crisis affecting county hospitals have been written large, and small, in headlines for many years.

The unacceptable fact - and often the tragedy - is that nothing has so far solved it.

Today, health executives will meet social services officials in the latest bid to tackle the issue, most pressingly what they term "delayed transfers".

In other words, patients not being moved back home or into to nursing home care in time to free beds needed to deliver waiting time targets.

For a long time, nursing home owners have been complaining that they're not paid enough to be viable - and the evidence of homes closing seems to prove that.

Amid all the wringing of hands, of course, it's easy to forget that elderly patients take longer to recover from treatment than others, and become institutionalised more quickly as well.

We know it's too simplistic to say that today's meeting faces tough decisions but uncomplicated choices.

However, if they want to eliminate the problem, they'll find the cash to keep the number of nursing home beds at a level to meet demand.

Few gatherings in the county will be more important than today's - but, then, we said the same in February, before Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff gathered similar experts together amid fears that time was running out.