Patients can find they are moved from ward to ward to make room for other patients and can suffer from having their discharge delayed.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Scotland | Review finds room for improvement

Bed blocking continues to be a major problem for the NHS. Overall 6% of patients had their discharge from hospital delayed.

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The court-martial trial, scheduled to begin Tuesday, was delayed after Flinn requested an honorable discharge.

CNN: But court-martial plans shelved

The problem is said to be causing the health service in Scotland more difficulties than bed-blocking, where the discharge of elderly people is delayed because they have nowhere to go.

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