I am writing in response to your article about delayed discharges at York Hospital (Delays cost city 18 hospital beds, The Press, November 7).

Everyone agrees that people should be able to leave hospital as soon as they are medically fit to do so, but this relies on a network of community-based support and requires strong partnership working.

City of York Council has been investing in additional care (such as the conversion of Windsor House to care for people with dementia), but more needs to be done with our partners in the NHS.

The council recently completed a major piece of work looking at the increased demand for services as a result of the increasing number of older people in the city - projections show a 60 per cent increase in the number of people aged over 85 in York by 2020.

We will soon be embarking on a major consultation exercise to discuss how we address the challenges this presents.

Part of this work will be to quantify the number of additional nursing home beds needed and the type and quality of care people want.

For example, we know there is a growing demand for services for people with dementia, but that the majority of customers do not need nursing care.

I would also like to clarify the comments regarding Barstow House. Barstow was never a nursing home, but used to be a residential home. For several years now it has provided extra care sheltered housing, which means people have their own flat as well as receiving the care they need.

We need more extra care housing in the city as an alternative to residential care, which is why part of the redevelopment of the Discus bungalows sites will include a new 40 bed extra care scheme.

Bill Hodson, Director of housing and adult social services, City of York Council, George Hudson Street, York.