Ministers told to ‘get a grip’ after delayed discharge figures rise

The Scottish Government has been urged to “get a grip” on bed blocking after new figures showed more patients were kept in hospital when they were medically well enough to leave.

A census across Scotland’s hospitals carried out in June revealed 1,159 patients whose discharge had been delayed including 175 who had been waiting six weeks or more. Across the NHS in May, patients spent a total of 44,305 days in hospital when they were medically well enough to leave, a rise from 43,980 the previous month. 0 Anas Sarwar: ‘Yet another broken promise from the SNP’

Labour health spokesman Anas Sarwar said: “Yet another increase in delayed discharges, yet another broken promise from the SNP who promised to eradicate it a year ago. Our NHS staff are doing the best they can under the circumstances but they are overworked, undervalued and under-resourced.”

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Alex Cole-hamilton said: “The integration of health and social care was largely targeted at reducing delayed discharges.

“We all want to see the integration of health and social care succeed but ministers need to get a grip.”

Health Secretary Shona Robison said the latest figures showed a 6per cent fall in the number of bed days lost compared to the same month last year, and a drop of 14 per cent compared to two years ago.