A DECADE on from the Scottish government’s pledge to eradicate delayed discharges in the NHS, numbers have climbed to their highest ever.

Revised data from Public Health Scotland (PHS) show that in 2023-24, a staggering 666,190 days were spent in hospital by people trapped there for the want of support such as social care packages. 

This is 22 per cent higher than the pre-Covid tally of 542,204 in 2019-20.

The figures — the highest since the present reporting framework began in 2016 — mean that on average last year, 1,820 hospital beds were effectively blocked to patients needing treatment, more than the 1,677-bed capacity of Scotland’s largest hospital, the Queen Elizabeth in Govan.

In the year ending March 31 2024, an astounding 10.8 per cent of all bed days in hospitals were occupied by people medically fit to leave, despite one-time health secretary and present Finance Secretary Shona Robison pledging to eliminate the issue by the end of 2015.

Taking aim at the Scottish government’s £30 million spend on paused plans for a national care service — panned by trade unions, service users and carers alike — Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: “Each of these bed days represents another day in limbo for a patient who is desperate to return home.”

“Rather than wasting money on a failed National Care Service Bill, the SNP must work with those delivering front-line care to create a genuine safety net for those who are well enough to leave hospital but need help and support at home.”

Adding to the Scottish government’s NHS woes, the latest figures show that in the week ending December 1, 2,076 people — 8.1 per cent of all those attending — waited over 12 hours to be discharged, transferred, or admitted from Scotland’s A&E departments. 

This is a rise of two percentage points on the week before, and well above the 4.4 per cent average for 2023.

Ms Baillie added: “It seems the SNP has learned nothing from the past 16 winters when it comes to A&E.

“Week after week, more and more patients are being forced to wait eight or even 12 hours in emergency departments or hospital corridors just to be treated.

“The SNP need to act before more hospitals declare critical incidents and A&E comes to a complete standstill.”

SNP health Secretary Neil Gray said: “Reducing delayed discharges is a priority of this government and, if passed by Parliament, our Budget for 2025-26 will provide £200 million to help clear waiting list backlogs.
On A&E, he added:

“Scotland’s core A&E departments have been the best performing in the UK for the last eight years. But we know that too many people are still waiting too long – and we are determined to drive improvements across our NHS.”