Continuing rise in people stuck in hospital is deeply concerning
Alison Johnstone MSP, Health spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, today (8 Nov) expressed concern as figures showed a continuing increase in the number of people stuck in hospital waiting for social care support.
There were 1,524 people who experience delayed discharge from hospital in September, a rise from 1,472 in August and a rise from 1,258 in September last year.
70 per cent of people experiencing a delay were aged over 75.
A quarter of people were awaiting arrangements for social care support at home, with a further quarter waiting for a place in a care home.
Alison Johnstone, Health spokesperson for the Scottish Greens and MSP for Lothian, said:
"The continuing rise in people stuck in hospital when they should be in a more appropriate setting is deeply concerning. Entire families experience anxiety due to delays in accessing care places and support to live at home.
"Our NHS is facing huge demands so we must invest in social care staff to ease the pressure. As we approach discussions about the 2017 Scottish budget, we must ensure adequate resources are going into social care."
Delayed Discharges in NHSScotland, Figures for September 2016 (ISD Scotland)