DELAYED discharge figures across southern Scotland continue to rise, sparking concern.
Figures released by Public Health Scotland show delayed discharge continues to be an issue across south Scotland. The numbers increased by 23.6 per cent in Dumfries and Galloway between March 2022 and March 2023.
Delayed discharge is when a patient is medically cleared to go home but cannot leave hospital, often because a social care package is not in place or there is a lack of places in care homes or sheltered housing.
An increasing number of care home closures are also reducing the opportunities for older people to leave hospital if they require a care home place.
Labour MSP for South Scotland Colin Smyth is now calling for the Scottish Government to take action, he said: “These figures continue to show the scale of how many people are affected by delayed discharge across our area.
“When comparing with last year, every month we’re seeing rises in Ayrshire and Arran, Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders, and this is a real concern.
“For many years now I have been calling for a strategy from the Scottish Government to eradicate delayed discharge but nothing has changed. In 2015, the SNP vowed to put an end to delayed discharge but, as these figures show, we are so far away from achieving that.
“It is time for delayed discharge figures to start improving and I am demanding that the Scottish Government take serious action.”
