This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Decrease in delayed discharge figures
30/09/2002
Figures released today show a decrease in the number of
delayed discharges, and reductions in the number of
patients facing the longest delays.
Deputy Health Minister Frank McAveety welcomed the
quarterly figures, but warned NHS Boards and local
authorities that quicker, more substantial improvements
must be made.
He also announced plans to discuss progress with each
NHSBoard/LA partnership to seek re-assurances that their
local plans are on-track to achieve the reductions in
delayed discharges set by the Executive, by April next
year.
Today's quarterly figures from the Information and
Statistics Division of NHSScotland (ISD) show that at the
date of the last census - 15 July 2002 - there were 2920
patients 'ready for discharge', compared with 2951 in the
April census - a decrease of 1.1 per cent. There were also
decreases in the number of patients waiting for more than
12 months - from 292 to 274, nine months from 444 to 406
and six months from 712 to 644, but an increase from 1957
to 2031 in the number waiting six weeks and over.
The figures were released on the same day as another ISD
report which shows a recorded increase in the number of
private registered nursing homes from 502 in 2001 to 520
this year, an increase in the total number of residents
from 20,046 to 21,490 and an increase in occupancy rates
from 87.6 to 90.7 per cent.
Frank McAveety said:
"I welcome the decrease in the total number of delayed
discharges in Scotland and reductions in the number of
patients facing the longest delays. However, further and
much more substantial improvements must be made if NHS
Boards and LAs are to reach the tough targets we have set
for reducing delayed discharges in every area of Scotland
by April 2003.
"To underpin implementation of the Delayed Discharge
Action Plan, we have given partnerships an additional £20m
to tackle unnecessary delays, enabling them to buy up to
1000 extra care packages by April next year. Three-quarters
of this funding was not released until June - until we had
fully approved the local plans - and therefore I appreciate
that it would have had little impact on the July figures.
However, by the next census we must ensure that this added
investment is delivering real results.
"Monitoring put in place by the Executive shows that
Boards are putting in place key measures on the ground to
pave the way for concrete reductions in tackling and
preventing delayed discharges in the coming months. For
example feedback from the local action plans shows that all
but three of the 15 partnership areas either have rapid
response teams in place or are developing them, and key
staff are now being recruited to speed up assessments and
improve service delivery.
"When we launched the Plan, we also promised greater
support at a national level to tackle the problem. I can
confirm that a team of experts is now in place to develop a
national learning network on delayed discharge, as well as
a good practice resource and support network. This will
share learning between health, housing and social care
sectors to improve performance, make better use of
resources and create more responsive, people centred
services.
"We are also working with this team to develop a
framework for NHS Board/LA partnerships to produce
protocols, which will create a more consistent and
patient-centred approach in managing discharges. And we are
preparing to issue national guidance on patient choice
which will help reduce the number of people delayed in
hospital for long periods because their first choice of
home is not initially available.
"Finally, the range and capacity review of older
people's services is now well underway, demonstrating our
commitment to ensuring an appropriate range and level of
care service is in place to meet the future needs of
Scotland's older people.
"However, what we now need to see is the local Action
Plans - and the additional investment which is now in the
care system, delivering real results for people who are
inappropriately being care for in hospital - and future
patients who require those beds. During the summer
Ministers met NHS Board/LA partnerships to emphasis the
need to 'get serious' about tackling unnecessary delays. I
will now be seeking progress reports from all partnerships
to ensure that their local plans are on track.
"I also want to reiterate an earlier warning that if
results are not achieved, 'hit squads' will be sent into
areas to drive through improvements. A support team was
sent into Argyll and Clyde at a very early stage because it
had one of the highest rates of delayed discharge in
Scotland. This has helped create a 19 per cent reduction in
the number waiting more than six months since the last
quarter's figures. If other areas fail to deliver, then
they too will receive high level support to re-focus their
efforts."
Meanwhile, Mr McAveety welcomed today's increases in
private nursing home registrations and the increased
occupancy rates.
"After a turbulent period in the independent care
sector, today's figures are an encouraging sign that the
partnership approach which we have taken with Scottish Care
and COSLA, has resulted in greater stability. Stability
which is good news for service users and their families, as
well as care providers.
"It is also welcome news that occupancy rates in such
homes have increased by more than three per cent in the
past year. This means that more people - where it is deemed
the best option for them - are receiving nursing home care.
However, it is also important that for those people who
want to and are able to remain at home, that that choices
is open to them. That is why in addition to the £250m we
are investing over two years to fund free personal and
nursing care, and the additional £52.5m we have provided
since July last year to help bring renewed stability to the
independent care home sector, we are also investing an
extra £48m by 2003/4 for care at home.
"Only through this strategic approach - investing in
care at home - and care in homes, providing additional
investment in plans to target and prevent unnecessary
hospital delays, can we ensure that the people of Scotland
receive the care they need, in the most appropriate setting
and don't end up being 'trapped' in the acute sector longer
than is absolutely necessary."
Full details of the
ISD 'Patients Ready for Discharge' July 2002 census
The
ISD report on Private Nursing Homes 2001-02
The Scottish Executive launched the Delayed Discharge
Action Plan on 5 March 2002. In April £5m was provided to
kick start local action to tackle delayed discharge,
followed by £15m in June once the Local Action Plans had
been approved and assessed against two key priorities:
- reducing the impact of delayed discharge on acute
hospital services;
- and delivering effective care packages for the 300
people in Scotland who have waited over one year to be
appropriately placed.
The £20m was ring-fenced to ensure it could only be used
by NHS Board/local authority partnerships for initiatives
to reduce delayed discharges. Partnerships were also warned
that there would be close monitoring of performance by the
Executive in each area and action if partnerships fail to
perform, including sending in top level 'hit squads' to
drive through improvements.
Other key elements of the plan included creating a
national delayed discharge learning network to spread good
practice on tacking delays, and commissioning a longer-term
review of the range and capacity of community care services
for older people over the next five, 10 and 15 years.
In addition to the £20m being invested in delayed
discharge, the Scottish Executive is providing the
following
- £250m over two years to fund free personal and nursing
care;
- £52.5m since July 2001 to help fund increases in care
home fees in the independent care sector, and
- £48m in home care by 2003/04 to provide more intensive
care at home, rapid response teams, more short breaks for
carers, shopping/household maintenance services and up to
four weeks free home care after discharge from
hospital.
In addition, the Health Minister last week announced an
additional £12m for NHS Boards to prepare and deal with
winter pressures, including more community-based services
to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions.