MSP Sharon Dowey says Humza Yousaf “must get on top” of a rising number of bed-blocking days in NHS Ayrshire and Arran.
Ms Dowey’s call comes after new figures revealed a big year-on-year increase in the number of delayed discharges occurring across Scotland.
In NHS Ayrshire and Arran, there was a 106 per cent increase in the number of bed days lost due to delayed discharge between September 2020 and the same month this year.
The number of bed days lost in NHS Ayrshire and Arran increased between August and September this year.
The backdrop of this increase comes despite the SNP promising to eradicate delayed discharge back in 2015.
Now Sharon Dowey, Scottish Conservative List MSP for South Scotland, has urged Health Secretary, Humza Yousaf, to guarantee that NHS Ayrshire and Arran will have the resources they need to free up beds as the peak winter period approaches, by delivering on their promise in 2015.
She said: “Back in 2015, the SNP promised to eradicate delayed discharge in our hospitals in NHS Ayrshire and Arran but have spectacularly failed to do so.
“The number of bed days lost is only increasing across Ayrshire and Arran, and the rise over the last year has been eye-watering.
“This is yet another example of Humza Yousaf failing to get on top of a problem in our health service. He must do so immediately and guarantee that NHS Ayrshire and Arran will have every resource they require to tackle the number of bed days being lost.”
She added: “Delayed discharge only increases discomfort for patients desperate to get home and makes those waiting on a bed for treatment more anxious. As we approach the peak winter period, Humza Yousaf can’t let these numbers spiral further out of control.”
Fellow South Scotland Conservative List MSP Brian Whittle also waded into the debate.
He said: “It’s staggering to see that the number of bed days lost in Ayrshire & Arran has more than doubled in the last year.
“This is another example of the SNP failing to deliver on long made promises and patients paying the price for it.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The last few months have seen extreme pressures across the whole health and social care system. This has seen more people coming through hospitals who need high levels of care and support to go home.
“We have announced significant additional funding to address this including £62m to enhance care at home, £48m to increase the hourly rate of pay, £40m to support interim care arrangements and £20m to enhance multi-disciplinary teams.
“We have also recently launched our “discharge without delay” programme, backed by £5m, to help local health and social care partnerships improve discharge planning arrangements.
“We are working alongside our Health Boards, and local partners with urgency and pace to safely discharge people to their own homes, or to an appropriate care home or community setting.
“We are doing this in the best interests of the individual involved and to also help us maximise capacity during this time of extreme pressure within our NHS.
“Decisions about care and treatment should always be clinically based, in the patient’s best interests and taken in consultation with the patient or their families and representatives.”
Don't miss the latest Ayrshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter here
