Worst month for Argyll’s delayed hospital discharges
The number of bed days used up by delayed discharges reached its highest ever number in January for Argyll and Bute, it has emerged.
There were 1,370 bed days taken up by patients fit to leave hospital but with nowhere to go - the statistics were published by Public Health Scotland.
That is higher than the previous record of 1,175 in December, and more than double the number from two years ago.
They showed, in the past 10 months, delayed discharge has resulted in more than 10,000 bed days being lost.
Reasons given for the delays include a lack of care home spaces and social care packages.
An Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) spokesman said high levels of delays were happening in many other HSCPS across
Scotland too.
Speaking about the situation in Argyll and Bute, the spokesperson said: “There are a variety of reasons for these delays. However, the most frequent one is finding a suitable onward placement or accommodation that can meet the specific care needs of the individuals waiting to be discharged.
“The remote and rural nature of Argyll and Bute also means that we have our own unique challenges in delivering care.
“We continue to face real pressures on services in the community and staffing remains an ongoing challenge particularly in the care sector.”
And he added: “We do however remain committed to reducing the number of people delayed in hospital by working across both our health and social care services to provide appropriate care for people in their own home or as close to their home as possible.”
Highlands and Islands MSP Donald Cameron said people across Argyll and Bute are fed up at the issue of delayed discharge continually getting worse.
“Delayed discharge doesn’t just inflict misery on vulnerable patients who are ready to leave hospital.
“It has a significant knockon effect to other areas of the health service and places increased strain on staff too,” he said.
And he added Scottish ministers needed to redouble their efforts to ensure the NHS and local authorities were supported in tackling this increasing problem once and for all.
The Public Health Scotland figures can be viewed at www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/ delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly/ delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly-figures-for-january-2023/.
They show the following number of bed days occupied by delayed discharge in Argyll and Bute in 2022/23 were: January 2023 – 1,370, December 2022 – 1,175, November 2022 – 1,052, October 2022 – 1,160, September 2022 – 915, August 2022 – 1,056, July 2022 – 1,092, June 2022 – 846, May 2022 – 627, April 2022 - 830.