43 patients die while waiting to be discharged
not there.
“I have made it repeatedly clear that I support the concept of an intermediate care facility in Wishaw.
“I will wait for the necessary modelling work – carried out by experts – to be completed and then we will look at exactly what is required.”
Central Scotland Labour MSP Richard Leonard said he was concerned about the 43 deaths.
“This shows that something is tragically wrong,”he added.
“We have to look at what is going on inside Wishaw General, we must understand and learn the lessons to improve the system and do all we can to prevent this from happening again.
“The scale of cuts to NHS Lanarkshire’s budget has a human cost.“
A NHS spokesman said:“We are committed to minimising delays in discharge and ensuring patient transfer from hospital wards to more suitable settings as soon as it is clinically appropriate to do so.
“Patients who experience a delay in being discharged are generally older, frail patients who are waiting for the necessary care arrangements to be put in place
“In some cases, this includes end-of-life care.
“We have a duty to ensure that the appropriate arrangements are in place for each individual to all us to safely discharge
them.”