A WINTER crisis in the county's hospitals is not down to delays in social care, council bosses insist.

They said 'a lot of work' jointly with NHS staff had helped to keep so-called 'bed blocking' in Oxfordshire lower than the rest of the country and claimed most delays were within the health service.

The comments came after it emerged Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust had been on 'OPEL 3' alert – the second-highest level – since December 19.

The trust is facing a massive influx of patients to A&E departments in the city and Banbury, with all pre-planned operations cancelled last Friday and people urged not to come unless absolutely necessary.

Pressure is only expected to grow in the coming weeks.

But Judith Heathcoat, Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member for adult social care, criticised 'sweeping statements' made by the British Red Cross, which claimed there was a 'humanitarian crisis' in social and health care earlier this month.

She said: "It made me very upset to see what has been reported. We have done a lot of work to to ensure so-called 'bed blocking' can be managed properly and that people can be moved on from hospital.

"In Oxfordshire, the delays are generally on the health service side but you get statements from the Red Cross and some in the health service which try and play the blame game.

"But we are working as a team to make things much better than they were."