SNP policies to blame for failure to act on three-year-old pledge on bed blocking

It is not good enough for the Scottish Government’s health spokesperson, Shona Robison, to pass blame for bed blocking in the NHS to local councils (“Cost of bed blocking in Scotland hits £360m”, The Scotsman, 31 March).

The Scottish Government promised three years ago to take action to abolish this, but it is their policies, particularly to local councils, which have ensured this has not happened.

Ms Robison gives all sorts of figures, and excuses, but the reality is that council budgets have been cut year on year and the money simply isn’t there.

In Edinburgh, for example, the budget settlement this year has seen a cut of 0.4 per cent, the lowest funding settlement in Scotland per head of population. An integrated joint board has been created, with funding from both the NHS and local authority. But there are around 2,000 people in need of care packages. There is around 8,000 hours of care undelivered.

There are delays in assessments being carried out, and even when these are completed, there is another wait as the providers are unable to provide the service. There are complex reasons why this is happening; as well as funding, these include staff retention issues and care in competition with other living wage jobs.

Without sufficient funding patients are staying in hospital beds when they are ready to return home or move to alternative care, and others cannot receive treatment as there are no beds, and people are dying. With an integrated joint board, the NHS and the local authority have taken steps towards the resolution of this problem; it is about time the SNP Scottish government did their bit and properly funded social care.

PHIL TATE Craiglockhart Road, Edinburgh How sad to read of the NHS in Scotland’s bed blocking crisis (your report, 31 March). The pledge by the present health minister to abolish the system entirely three years ago – no progress whatsoever has been made – only makes the situation all the more poignant.

Isittakingcynicismasteptoo far to suggest that spending decisions by the SNP administration are made primarily on two factors? The first and by far the most important to nationalists would be the impact on the Holy Grail of breaking up the UK. The second would be the vote-gathering potential.

Thus we have bridge tolls and prescription charges and other money-raisers – the cash from which would have helped if not cleared the bed blocking logjam – abolished for the wealthiest in our society; they needed to be brought on-side by the SNP. In the meantime, the mainly poor and old are kept in hospital beds that could be used by the sick.

Only when politics, especially nationalist politics, is taken out of the health arena will progress be made. ALEXANDER MCKAY New Cut Rigg, Edinburgh