Delayed discharge crisis is costing NHS Ayrshire & Arran millions of pounds

dailyrecord.co.uk:

South Scotland Labour List MSP, Colin Smyth, has revealed the scale of the care crisis facing the Ayrshire region - with new figures on the cost of the delayed discharge in NHS Ayrshire & Arran.Statistics compiled by Scottish Labour show that delayed discharge cost NHS Ayrshire & Arran £12,777,210 after the health board ‘lost’ 46,044 bed days in year 2021/22.And new figures, released on January 10, show that 7,148 bed days were occupied by patients who were medically fit to go home, but couldn’t.The figures are taken from November 2022 and when compared to the same month the previous year (4,178) they show that delayed discharge had risen by 71 per cent.Delayed discharge is when a patient is deemed to be clinically ready for discharge, but cannot leave hospital because the other necessary care is not available.The patient is then forced to stay in hospital, often meaning other patient care is cancelled due to a lack of beds.Mr Smyth said: “Years on from the SNP promising to end the deadly and costly practice of Delayed Discharge, the problem is getting worse.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.“Local hospitals are full of patients who shouldn’t be there.

They can’t go home because of a lack of home carers or there are no suitable accommodation such as sheltered housing and residential care home spaces.“In a year when services were already at breaking point,