Dramatic rise in bed blocking figures

Fife has bucked a national trend by seeing the number of elderly people waiting to be discharged from its hospitals shoot up by an astonishing 22% in three months.

The figures - which led SNP MSP Tricia Marwick to call for an urgent investigation - came as ministers welcomed a small decline in the overall number of delayed discharges from hospitals across Scotland.

But they warned more needed to be done to bring down the numbers further - and nowhere more so than in Fife.

In April 175 people were waiting to be discharged from acute beds in Fife - but by July that had rocketed to 213.

The region's health authority has managed a slight improvement since then and, as of September 15, the figure was 209.

In Tayside, where in recent weeks there has been a downward trend in the numbers of 'bed blockers', NHS Tayside chairman, Mr. Peter Bates, last night warned against 'warehousing' older people in abid to drive down the numbers.

Deputy health minister, Frank McAveety, said that he would not hesitate to send in hit squads to local areas.

He pointed to the Argyle and Clyde health board area, which at one stage had the highest rate of delayed discharges in Scotland.

"This helped create a 19% reduction in the number waiting more than six months since the last quarter's figures", he said.

If other areas fail to deliver, then they, too, will receive high-level support to refocus their efforts.

The figures from NHS statisticians show there were 2,920 patients ready for discharge in hospitals in mid-July, compared to 2,951 three months previously - a fall of 1.1%

Most delayed discharges are elderly patients still in hospital because their care arrangements have not been finalised or because they have no place to go to.

The number of patients waiting for mare than a year dropped from 292 to 274, and the number waiting for more than six months dropped from 712 to 644.

But the number waiting six weeks or longer increased from 1957 to 2031.

Hospital discharge figures shock (by Claire Warrender)

The number of elderly people waiting to be discharged from Fife hospitals shot up by an astonishing 22% in three months, new figures released yesterday have revealed.

The statistics compiled by the Scottish Executive show that the figures in Fife contrasts sharply with the rest of Scotland where the number of bed blockers fell by 1.1% during the same period.

Now Nationalist MSP Tricia Marwick called for urgent investigation to determine why more and more people are being forced to languish unnecessarily in hospital instead of being moved to appropriate nursing or community care.

In April, 175 people were waiting to be discharged from acute beds in Fife - but by July that figure had rocketed by almost a quarter to 213.

The health authority has managed a slight improvement since then, and as of September 15 the number involved was 209.

NHS Fife's director of development Cathy Cowan acknowledged last week that Fife had a problem with delayed discharges but said that plans endorsed by the board had been put in place to tackle this.

She confirmed that a recent investment of £1.3 million - Fife's share of a £20 million funding package from the Scottish Executive to tackle delayed discharges - was being used to support people in the community and to purchase extra nursing home beds.

Mrs Marwick said yesterday however, "The Fife figures are absolutely appalling.

"They has risen by 22% at a time when the government and local authorities are supposed to be working together to bring waiting lists and delayed discharges down."

Calling on the Council and NHS Fife to explain themselves, the mid-Scotland and Fife MSP added, "They have got people languishing in hospital who need not be there because they can't get their act together. There is something very far wrong.

"This has been over a period of time when much time money and effort was allegedly going in to solving the problem but they have managed to make it worse.

"The situation is completely breaking down in Fife and there has to be an explanation to explain why this has happened."

It was imperative that the situation was improved before the winter.

The MSP's comments were echoed by former health board member Andrew Rodger, who branded the Fife figures a disgrace and warned, "This will have an impact on waiting lists and waiting times.

"More than 200 people are having to wait in hospital when they don't have to be there. And this is even before we hit the winter."

A joint statement issued on behalf of the Fife Council and NHS Fife last night described the situation as disappointing, abnd conceded, "Nobody should be in a hospital bed who doesn't need to."

They said, however, that it was important that the figures were seen in a "proper context" and maintained that there were no quick fixes to the issue.

The statement continued, "The council and the health service together are committed to achieving a successful and sustainable solution.

"Currently there are 1,500 nursing care and residential care beds in Fife. The occupancy rate is 97%, which clearly demonstrates a good use of existing resources.

"The real issue - and Fife's population is both becoming and older and living longer - is the need to increase the supply of nursing and residential care beds so that we can better match supply and demand."

The council and the health board outlined a number of initiatives being taken to address the situation but warned they would take time to be developed and have an impact on the problem. These are: