Delayed discharge crisis - Highest levels in 6 years

Age Scotland has called for much more focus and targeted action to address hospital delayed discharge figures which are at their highest level in six years.

The charity says that the situation has long since passed the point of crisis and cannot be allowed to continue as it has been.

Figures published today by Public Health Scotland showed 1,885 people were affected by delayed discharge on the September census date –a rise of 8% compared to August.

There was a 13% increase in the total number of days (54,960) spent in hospital in September by people otherwise medically fit to leave compared to the year before. In September hospitals across the country had a daily average of 1,832 beds occupied by patients deemed medically fit to be discharged – the highest number since July 2016 – and 2% up on the figures for August.

The average length of the delay was 23 days, more than three weeks in a hospital bed instead of being looked after at home.

A report by the Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee in 2019, which looked at delayed discharge, highlighted the detrimental effects of staying in hospital for too long with three weeks in bed being the equivalent of ageing by 30 years.

The vast majority were patients aged over 75 and three quarters of the delays were caused by the lack of a suitable social care package either at home or in a care home.

Brian Sloan, chief executive of Age Scotland, said:

“This feels like Groundhog Day. Month after month we read of sky-high levels of hospital delayed discharge with September’s being at a record peak. For far too long there has been a steady increase in the number of older people unable to leave hospital because of a lack of available and appropriate social care support in their community.

"It’s just not good enough and it has a devastating impact on their ability to recover and be able to live the kind of life they had before going into hospital.

“There are a number of valuable initiatives underway across the country such as more hospital at home, and some early work in hospitals to speed up discharges being implemented, but at the heart of it there just simply isn’t enough social care available in the community.

“We know that demand for social care is high and local authorities across Scotland are struggling to deliver appropriate care for those in need. We have been told that a National Care Service could help better address these issues. But we need action now, not in 2, 5 or 10 years’ time. This has long since been a crisis.

“Unless there is vastly greater investment in social care and the recruitment and retention of much more qualified staff, we are going to be here again next month and the month after that with yet more older people sufferingthe physical and mental consequences of a lengthy stay in hospital.

“Not only do the patients suffer, but delayed discharge costs the cash-strapped NHS -which is under more pressure than at any point in its history –nearly half a million pounds a day. In September alone, the cost of all of the extra days in hospital cost more than £14 million.

“This is already a system at breaking point, so let’s see urgent action from the Scottish Government and local authorities to prevent a critical situation getting even worse.”