An opposition politician is calling for urgent action to be taken to address “bed blocking” in Forth Valley.
The call from Mid Scotland and Fife Conservative MSP Dean Lockhart comes following figures released by the health board in a Freedom of Information request which demonstrate the extent of the issues in local units with delayed discharges.
The data reveals that the average delay for patients in the region who were formally discharged from hospital but whose discharge had been put on hold has almost doubled from 12.6 days in July 2021 to 24.9 days in June this year.
Meanwhile, for patients currently in hospital who are medically fit for discharge but are delayed in leaving, the average wait in Forth Valley sits at more than two months at 71.9 days.
The most startling case identified in the FOI data reports one patient who has been cleared for discharge for hospital but has now been waiting for more than a four and a half years for a suitable spot to open up - a total of 1,684 days.
In their submission, NHS Forth Valley report the reason for the long delay is due to the individual patient’s “very complex health, care and guardianship” which requires transfer to a specialist care facility, with “limited places” available to meet their needs.
Mr Lockhart labelled the case as “appalling and mind blowing” and said ministers needed to do more to help speed up the system of discharges.
He said: “These astonishing figures spell out the reality of how delayed discharge is crippling resources in across Stirling and our local health board and social care services.
“It is appalling and mind-blowing to think that patients can be stuck for hundreds of day because they have nowhere to go. That will have undoubtedly taken an enormous physical and mental toll on this patient.
“However, it is not just in the devastating impact on patients that the SNP’s failures to eradicate delayed discharge is keenly felt.
“It is putting an even greater strain on budgets that are already under huge pressure, while an increased number of patients suffering prolonged stays in hospital inevitably means longer A&E waiting times and more cancelled operations.
“Successive SNP Health Secretaries promised to eradicate delayed discharge but have spectacularly failed to do so.”
In response, an NHS Forth Valley spokesperson said: “Local social care and care home services are experiencing staffing pressures along with increasing demand for home care, particularly for people with complex needs.
“This has led to a significant increase in the number of patients in our hospitals who are clinically well enough to leave hospital but are experiencing delays in being discharged.
“We continue to work closely with our partners to reduce the number of patients experiencing delays who are waiting for a package of social care or a suitable care home place.
“A small number of individuals, including those with profound learning disabilities and severe autism, have faced long delays due to a lack of alternative facilities which are able to meet their specific needs.
“However, a range of new community-based facilities are currently being developed across Forth Valley which will provide specialist accommodation for people with complex ongoing health and care needs.”
