‘Appalling’ delays as patient waits six years for discharge
A SCOTS hospital patient has been waiting more than six years to be discharged, “appalling” new figures show.
The statistics, obtained by the Scottish Conservatives through Freedom of Information requests, show an NHS Grampian patient has had their discharge delayed by 2,312 days.
It is understood the majority of delays are caused by patients awaiting a care home place or a social care package at home being introduced, Age Scotland research shows.
Patients waited an average of 23 days to leave hospital in the 12 months to June 2022, according to the data.
However, one patient in Greater Glasgow and Clyde had their discharge delayed by 1,810 days – the equivalent of more than five years.
Of those still waiting to leave hospital, their current delay is 52 days.
It is estimated to cost the NHS £142 million per year, or £262 per night per bed, according to Public Health Scotland.
Sandesh Gulhane, health spokesman for the Scottish Tories, said the figures are “mind-blowing”.
He said: “These astonishing figures spell out the crippling reality of delayed discharge on Scotland’s interlined NHS and social care system – and they ought to shame SNP ministers.
“It’s appalling and mindblowing to think that a patient could be stuck in hospital for more than six years simply because there is nowhere for them to go. The mental and physical toll that must have taken on them doesn’t bare thinking about.
“But the suffering of stranded patients is only one of the devastating impacts of delayed discharge.”
He said the issue not only highlights the failings of the social care system in Scotland but also has ramifications across the NHS, including increased A&E waits and cancelled or delayed operations.
Dr Gulhane said: “There’s the enormous financial burden on NHS budgets, as well as the knock-on effects on the A&E waiting times crisis and the huge operations backlog caused by the reduced number of available beds.
“Successive SNP health secretaries have promised for years to eradicate delayed discharge but have singularly failed to do so – and patients, not to mention taxpayers, are suffering as a result.
“This problem stems from a shortage of care home places or social care packages enabling patients to return to their own homes.”
A spokesperson for NHS Grampian said: “We are not able to discuss individual patient cases.”