This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Delayed discharge patients at lowest recorded
17/01/2003
The number of hospital patients awaiting discharge is at
its lowest level since national figures started being
gathered in September 2000, according to the latest
quarterly statistics.
The October figures, published today by the Information
and Statistics Division of NHSScotland (ISD), show:
- an
11 per cent fall (3,138 to 2,798)
since October 2001 or
4 per cent (2,920 to 2,798) since July
in the total number of patients ready for
discharge
- a fall of
13 per cent (2,191 to 1,902) since
October 2001, in the number of patients waiting more
than six weeks for discharge, or a decrease of
3 per cent (2,032 to 1,902) in the
last quarter
- a
20 per cent decrease (300 to 239)
since October 2001 in the number of patients
experiencing a delay or more than 12 months, or a
13 per cent decrease (274 to 239) in
the last quarter
Deputy Health Minister Frank McAveety said:
"Today's latest census shows that delayed discharge
figures in Scotland are now at the lowest since this
national census was launched by the Executive and ISD
Scotland in September 2000.
"This is welcome news for older people and their
families. It means that fewer older people are having to
stay in hospital longer than necessary and are instead
receiving more appropriate post-hospital care either at
home or in a care home.
"The latest statistics, which show an 11 per cent annual
fall, or 4 per cent quarterly fall, in the total number of
patients 'ready for discharge' is also welcome news for the
NHS. With fewer patients remaining in hospital after being
assessed as ready for discharge, fewer beds are being taken
up for long term care, and are freed up for patients
needing acute care.
"Overall, I particularly welcome the 13 per cent
reduction in the last year in the number of patients
waiting more than the key period of six weeks and the 20
per cent reduction in patients waiting more than 12 months
for discharge.
"These marked improvements show that our £20 million
Delayed Discharge Action Plan, the associated NHS
Board/Local Authority plans, and our constant monitoring of
performance against these plans and targets, is now
delivering real results.
"However, we remain far from complacent. Preventing and
tackling delayed discharge will be an ongoing challenge for
NHSScotland and local authority and voluntary sector
partners.
"That is why we have pledged to provide a further £10
million a year, in the next three financial years, to
address this issue and have recently launched a learning
network for health, housing and social services staff to
learn about initiatives which have been effective in other
parts of Scotland.
"In addition, while all patients should already be
having their needs assessed before leaving hospital, and
have access to free personal care and free home care for
the first four weeks if required, we are now working to
further improve discharge procedures.
"This involves creating a new national framework
protocol for hospital discharges to promote better planning
at local level and streamline the discharge process. And
finalising new national guidance on 'patient choice' which
will help reduce the number of people who are delayed in
hospital for long periods because their first choice of
care home is not initially available.
"We also remain committed to providing high level
support - as and when required - to partnerships who are
finding it difficult to manage their discharges and deliver
improvements.
"Support early on for Argyll and Clyde, which last year
had high levels of delayed discharges compared to the rest
of Scotland, has contributed to that partnership already
reaching its local targets for April 2003. I commend the
work which has taken place locally and nationally to
achieve such improvements and now want to see a final push
by all partnerships across Scotland to achieve their
targets during the final three months of their local action
plans."
In March 2002, the Executive launched its £20 million
Delayed Discharge Action Plan. The first £5 million was
allocated to local NHS Board/Local Authority partnerships
in April to kick start local action on delayed discharge,
with the remaining £15 million distributed in June once the
local partnerships' plans had been approved.
Each partnership was given local targets for tackling
delayed discharges, in particular to reduce the number of
patients awaiting more than 12 months for discharge and to
reduce numbers delayed in the acute sector. They were
warned that there would be close monitoring of their
performance in reducing delayed discharges and if they
failed to make progress further action would be considered
by the Executive, including sending in support teams to
drive forward improvements.
On October 28, 2002, the Executive announced that £30
million from Scotland's budget - an extra £10 million a
year from April 2003 - would be spent on tackling delayed
discharge.
Allocations for 2003-04 are still being finalised, but
will take account of the progress which partnerships make
in reaching their existing delayed discharge targets
for April 15 this year.