We welcome the intervention of Dr Stephen Richards in helping to tackle the difficult problem of bed-blocking in the county.

Dr Richards, a GP who has worked for 22 years in the south of Oxfordshire, must be commended for stepping in and forming a new body to reduce the number of people unable to be discharged from hospital, despite being well enough, because the system to look after them outside hospital is not in place.

The county is listed by the Government as being the second worst in the country for bed-blocking, but there seemed little progress to deal with the issue by Oxfordshire County Council, NHS Oxfordshire and the hospitals.

We acknowledge, as Dr Richards does, that there is no simple solution and a truly joined-up approach will be the only way forward.

That said, we are heartened that the council and health bodies have signed up to Dr Richards’ group and wish it every success in tackling a problem which has a real effect on many people’s lives.