A FIVE per cent rise in cash to care homes in Wiltshire has been approved.

In a report to Wiltshire County Council's cabinet, Annie Hudson, director of social services, welcomed the extra cash but said it did not resolve the problem of bed blocking.

The county's social services department has been given £745,000 after it successfully lobbied the Government for more cash. The county was originally allocated £511,000.

Coun Jane Scott said: "We have been successful in getting slightly more, but not as much as we would have got if we had been in the top 50 of councils earmarked as 'hot spots'," said Coun Scott.

By March next year the county council must agree with the reduction targets set by the Social Services Inspectorate for numbers of blocked acute hospital beds. The target is based on a 25 per cent reduction in delayed discharges and excludes community hospitals and Avon and Wiltshire partnership trust hospitals.

Social services has already set waiting list targets with Wiltshire Health Authority in April 2001 of 79 people waiting a maximum of 12 weeks by April 2002.

Miss Hudson reported that significant improvements had already taken place as a result of funding released by the health authority for 50 care home beds. There are now only 80 people waiting.

The county council will work with the health authority and care home representatives to look at allocating the cash.