Charity insists social care is the answer

A leading older people’s charity is demanding an urgent healthcare review to reverse the shocking delays in discharging elderly patients from hospital.

Age Scotland is calling for Scottish Government ministers and integrated health boards across the country to work more closely and take strong action on this issue.

It now costs an average of £248 per day to keep a patient in hospital when their discharge has been delayed.

This is far more expensive than social care which sees local authorities paying roughly the same amount per week – £253 – for personal and nursing care.

Age Scotland insists that these NHS costs could be better spent on social care at home for patients across Scotland.

Chief executive Brian Sloan said: “These figures are deeply worrying but not surprising.

“They reinforce what we’ve been saying for the last year which is that social care is under immense pressure.

“Our Waiting For Care report, published this summer, found that four in 10 older people are waiting longer than the recommended guidelines for care they are entitled to and desperately need.

“On top of the significant human impact, delayed discharge has a huge financial cost too.

“NHS Scotland’s own figures show it costs £248 per day to keep someone in hospital when their discharge has been delayed, which is £122 million per year across Scotland.

“That’s money that could be spent on social care at home.”

Mr Sloan continued: “We know that health and social care staff are doing their utmost best and don’t want to see older people stuck in hospital when they do not need to be.

“This is adding to the pressure on our over-stretched NHS, as nursing and consultancy vacancies soar to record levels.

“Staff are working tirelessly to help patients, but they simply don’t have the support and resources they need.

“Despite the Scottish Government’s repeated promises to tackle delayed discharges, these figures show that the problem is spiralling out of control.

“We urgently need more investment in our social care system, so that every older person can access the care they are entitled to.”

He added: “We accept there’s already been significant investment in recent months – but people will rightly be wondering where this money has been spent, and how long it will be before this embarrassing state of affairs improves.”