Scottish Labour has challenged the SNP Government to set a new target for eradicating delayed discharge as local MSP, Jackie Baillie, highlights figures which show that 5,684 bed days were lost in September 2018, a twenty two per cent increase on the same time last year.

In 2015, the then Health Secretary Shona Robison pledged to ensure that delayed discharge – the process of a patient being stuck in hospital despite being medically cleared to leave – would be ‘eradicated’ out of the system by the end of the year.

That pledge was not kept and delayed discharge soared across the country.

Patients are being left in hospital unnecessarily because the Scottish Government has reduced funding for health and social care partnerships, which is preventing people from accessing the social care services they need.

Jackie said:

“The SNP pledged to eradicate delayed discharge from the health service but instead it’s become a broken promise of epic proportion.

“The government’s failure to properly invest in social care has put unnecessary strain on our hospitals and let people down.

“The health secretary now needs to ensure that the government delivers on its promise to end delayed discharge once and for all.”

ENDS