Highlands and Islands MSP, Edward Mountain has hit out at the number of patients in NHS Highland facing “soul-destroying waits” stuck in hospital.
Edward Mountain MSP’s call comes after new statistics from Public Health Scotland show that the number of bed days occupied across Scotland’s hospitals because of so-called delayed discharge has increased by 21 per cent over the last year.
In August 2021, 46,171 bed days were taken up by patients who were unable to return home or had no social care package in place. But in the same month in 2022 that rose to 55,753 days.
In NHS Highland there was a 32% increase from August 2021 to August 2022 in the number of bed days lost to delayed discharge.
Edward Mountain MSP says this increase is a damning indictment of Humza Yousaf’s mismanagement of the NHS, especially given the SNP promised in 2015 to eradicate delayed discharge.
Edward Mountain MSP said:
“The year-on-year increase in delayed discharge in NHS Highland is soul-destroying for patients.
“Every patient in hospital who has completed their treatment is stopping another patient waiting for theirs from getting in.
“Considering the massive waiting lists we have got in NHS Highland, further treatment delays due to administrative failings are unacceptable.
“The SNP promised to eradicate delayed discharge in 2015 but successive Health Secretaries have failed miserably to do so ever since.
“The effects on patients in NHS Highland are devastating, as is the effect increased delayed discharge has throughout our hospitals. It leads to increased waits at A&E, as well as lengthier delays for patients in NHS Highland waiting on vital procedures.”
