Warning of more patients stuck in hospital

Ministers have been warned that increasing numbers of patients are being “stuck in hospital unnecessarily” after new figures showed a 58% increase in the number of days people spent in hospital when they were well enough to leave.

Public Health Scotland data showed that in March this year there were 53,600 days spent in hospital by people who no longer needed in-patient care but whose discharge had been delayed.

That was up by 58% from the 33,840 additional days patients spent in hospital in March 2021.

According to Public Health Scotland, in March this year an average of 1,729 NHS hospital beds were occupied each day by people who were clinically well enough to leave hospital – up from 1,704 in February.

A hospitals census, carried out on the last Thursday of March, showed that at that point there were 1,836 patients whose discharge had been delayed, a rise of 8% from February’s total.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-hamilton said: “The pressure and gaps in community care are causing more and more people to be stuck in hospital unnecessarily.

“The situation is as bad as ever.

“People should never have to wait weeks or months on a care home place or help to return home.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “During the coronavirus pandemic we have continued to work with health and social care partnerships to reduce delays in people leaving hospital.

“It is critical that people are cared for in the right setting and that vital hospital beds are there for those who need them.”