Labour condemns ‘misery for patients’ as delayed discharges increase again

Patients are continuing to be put through “misery”, Scottish Labour has said, as rates of delayed discharge rose again.

Figures from Public Health Scotland show at the August 2025 census, 1,953 people were stuck in hospital despite being ready to leave.

That was higher than the 1,948 patients in the same position in July, 1,857 in June, and 1,840 in May.

The average length of delay for those experiencing delayed discharge in August was the same as in the previous three months, at 28 days.

However, the total number of days spent in hospital by those delayed decreased by 2% in August compared to the same month last year, to 60,888 days.

Scottish Labour claimed the SNP Government has “no idea” how to improve social care in Scotland to ensure those who are fit to leave hospital can do so.

Dame Jackie Baillie, the party’s health spokeswoman, said: “Delayed discharge is causing misery for patients and piling pressure on our over-stretched hospitals, but the SNP has failed to deal with this issue.

“Over a decade has passed since the SNP promised to end delayed discharge, but too many patients are still left languishing in hospitals for days or weeks on end waiting for a care package.

“The SNP has no idea how to improve social care in Scotland and no idea how to ease pressure on hospitals – but Scottish Labour is ready to step up where the SNP has failed and deal with these issues head on.”

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane added: “Over a decade on from their flagship promise to eradicate delayed discharge and SNP ministers are still failing miserably.

“Every month, nearly 2,000 patients are trapped in hospital beds because successive SNP health secretaries haven’t delivered the social care packages they need.

“These delays create a domino effect across our NHS – cancelled operations, overcrowded A&E departments, and exhausted staff – all because beds aren’t available.

“The SNP have had nearly two decades to fix this crisis, but instead they squandered millions on their doomed plans for a national care service.

“(Health Secretary) Neil Gray should finally show a bit of common sense, cut bureaucracy and invest money in local care services.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The vast majority, 97%, of all hospital discharges happen without delay and it’s encouraging to see that the average number of people delayed in August was 2% lower than the same period in 2024.

“But we recognise there are still too many people in a hospital setting who don’t need to be – often for complex reasons.

“That’s why we have made reducing delayed discharge a key priority, with a clear plan backed by £200 million of targeted investment to reduce waiting times and improve patient flow.”