Hospital beds occupied by delayed discharges hit highest level since February

The average number of beds occupied by patients who were delayed from leaving hospital has reached its highest point since February, figures show.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) data published for the month of October shows 1,831 beds were occupied each day on average by patients would were able to leave hospital but prevented from doing so, predominantly because of a lack of social care packages.

It is the highest number since an average of 1,848 beds were occupied in February.

The figure is less than the peak of 1,950 in November 2022, but an increase in delays between April to September 2023.

In October, 1,815 patients had their discharge delayed, down from the 1,835 in September.

The data also reveals the average length of delay was 27 days, a decrease from the 28 days in August and September but higher than April to July.

There were 56,762 days spent in hospital by people whose discharge was delayed in October – a 4% decrease from the 58,826 at the same point in 2022, but an increase from September 2023’s 54,342.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: “The SNP’s failure to eradicate delayed discharge – something they promised to do in 2015 – continues to have a devastating effect on patients and frontline staff.

The SNP are constantly over-promising and under-delivering in healthcare.

“SNP health secretaries have failed to ensure social care packages are in place and, as a result, patients who are fit to be discharged are unable to leave hospital. These planning failures have a huge knock-on effect on the likes of A&E waiting times and cancelled operations and procedures.

“The SNP have failed to get a grip on this crisis for too long and now patients and my dedicated colleagues are facing the prospect of a truly terrifying winter.”

Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Dame Jackie Baillie said the scale of delayed discharge is “putting patients in danger”.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We are working closely with health boards and health and social care partnerships to create the necessary capacity to deal with emerging pressures over winter, and to ensure patients are assessed and discharged with the appropriate care package as quickly as possible.

“We are also continuing to work with local partners and Cosla to address the variability of delayed discharge across local authority areas.

“In addition to the £3.6 million provided this year to support growth of Hospital at Home services for older people, we have also invested additional funds, of up to £12 million, as part of our winter plan to increase capacity.”