This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Two new initiatives to tackle "bed blocking"
11/10/2002
A special Learning Network and a national 'information
bank' were today unveiled as the latest tools to tackle
'bed-blocking' in Scotland's hospitals.
The Learning Network will provide a forum for senior
staff working in health, housing and social services to
learn about initiatives that have been effective in
tackling delayed discharge in other areas. Planning
partners will consider how they can be used in their area
to ensure that people are not unnecessarily delayed in
hospital when they should be receiving care in a more
appropriate setting.
The Good Practice Resource will act as an 'information
bank', holding examples of initiatives and approaches that
have helped to improve the patient's experience of care,
ensuring that unnecessary delays do not occur.
Announcing details of the new measures at the joint
Association of Directors of Social Work/NHS Conference
today, Malcolm Chisholm said:
"This conference is in itself a positive sign of how
partners in health and social care are coming together to
address common problems and create better services for
Scotland's people. And there is no more pressing issue in
terms of joint working between NHS Boards and local
authorities, than tackling delayed discharge.
"It is completely unacceptable that thousands of people,
particularly older people are being let down by the care
system and end up languishing in hospital longer than
absolutely necessary. Real progress must and will be made,
otherwise - as I have warned before - action will be
taken.
"Partnerships now need to sit down and systematically
share, information and good practice about delayed
discharge in a way which has not happened before.
"The two new initiatives I am launching today - the
Learning Network and information bank - will help them do
exactly that, and ensure that we collectively become better
at addressing the needs of thousands of people who remain
stuck in hospital through no fault of their own."
The Action Plan to reduce unacceptable delays in
hospital discharges was announced on March 5 this year. The
key measure within the plan was the creation of at least
1,000 extra care packages by 2003 and an extra £20m to be
invested in NHS / local authority partnerships to help them
jointly tackle delays was also announced.
Validated statistics on delayed discharge are provided
by the Information and Statistics Division of the Common
Services Agency for NHSScotland.