Seven patients in Tayside have spent up to a year in hospital due to delays in having them discharged, figures have revealed.
Tayside had the second highest rate of delayed discharge in the country, according to statistics provided by ISD Scotland – NHS Scotland’s data service.
The figures were compiled in December 2017 and show seven patients had been delayed in getting out of hospital for as many as 12 months and 11 had been kept in hospital for between six months and a year.
In Fife, figures show only a single patient remained delayed for between six months and a year, with none of the patients in hospital in December in the Kingdom having been there for longer than 12 months.
Director of the Fife Health and Social Care Partnership, Michael Kellet, said: “Success in tacking delays in Fife is because of our investment in new models of care and because of the good work across the partnership – health and social care – to ensure people are discharged from hospital in a safe, timely and appropriate fashion.”
Perth & Kinross, Dundee and Angus Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCP) all said they are working with clinical colleagues to reduce unnecessary delays.
A review is under way in Perth & Kinross, with “significant resources” being ploughed in to services to try and reduce the figures.
A spokesperson for NHS Tayside said: “Discharge from hospital can be delayed for a number of reasons including when waiting for admission to care homes, social care assessment, provision of equipment or care at home services.
“Our commitment to patients is that they should not have to wait unnecessarily for the most appropriate care to be provided after treatment.
“NHS Tayside has been working very closely with the three health and social care partnerships and third sector partners in Angus, Dundee and Perth and Kinross to build sustainable solutions that seek to reduce unscheduled care and demand and avoid unnecessary delays in discharging patients from hospital.”
Robert Packham, chief officer for Perth & Kinross HSCP, said: “Since April 2017, Perth & Kinross has seen a reduction in the number of people experiencing a delay as well as a reduction in the average length of delay. Our aim and focus is to continue to improve so that we avoid unnecessary delays in discharging patients from hospital.”
Diane McCulloch, of Dundee HSCP said its services are being redesigned.
She said: “Of those people who are delayed, the majority have complex needs which require tailored support requirements or legal procedures to be completed. We have invested in a range of additional community supports and have agreed a programme of developments, including supported accommodation, to meet this need.”
Gail Smith of Angus HSCP, said: “Continual improvements are being made in both numbers of patients and the number of days they are delayed. We continue to work closely with our hospital colleagues and care home providers to support these patients with more complex circumstances, which includes completion of legal procedures.”
