Lanarkshire MSP Meghan Gallacher says the length of time patients are waiting to be discharged in NHS Lanarkshire should be a “source of shame” for the Scottish Government.
Meghan’s reaction comes after responses to Freedom of Information requests from the Scottish Conservatives revealed the true scale of delayed discharge – where patients who are otherwise fit and healthy enough to leave hospital cannot do so, for want of a suitable care package.
The data reveals that in NHS Lanarkshire the longest delayed discharge stands at 702 days while the average delayed discharge stands at 45 days.
Meghan says the figures “fly in the face” of then SNP health secretary Shona Robison’s promise in 2015 to eradicate delayed discharge from Scotland’s hospitals.
The Tory Central Scotland list MSP said: “Far too many patients are stuck for far too long in hospitals in NHS Lanarkshire on the SNP’s watch.
“Almost a decade has passed since the SNP promised to eradicate delayed discharge from Scotland’s hospitals, but these figures fly in the face of that.
“It should be a source of shame for SNP ministers that one patient waited an astonishing 702 days to leave hospital despite being deemed fit to go home, and that on average patients are waiting weeks, if not months, to be discharged.
“These waits not only have a huge impact on the patients involved, they also have devastating knock-on effects for other patients in NHS Lanarkshire.
“Despite the best efforts of dedicated staff, more and more patients will suffer longer waits at A&E or see operations cancelled at the last minute because beds simply are not available.
“The figures must be an urgent wake-up call for SNP health secretary Neil Gray to finally get a grip of this crisis in NHS Lanarkshire. This is exactly where investment in the NHS should be going, rather than being wasted on pointless bureaucracy and pen-pushing.”
In response, Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “Most people are able to leave hospital with no delays – currently over 96% of all hospital discharges happen without delay – but reducing delayed discharges further is a priority for the Scottish Government.
“Our Budget for 2025-26 will invest £200m to reduce waiting list backlogs, improve capacity and remove barriers which keep some patients in hospital longer than necessary.
“We also want to expand Hospital at Home to treat 150,000 more patients, deliver additional support for GPs and invest in new hospitals.
“Our Budget will unlock investment to drive long-term and lasting improvements – and the healthier population that we all want to see. The NHS needs Parliament to unite behind this Budget.”
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