Briggs: NHS Lothian accounts for almost a quarter of Delayed Discharge in Scotland

NHS Lothian accounts for almost a quarter of Delayed Discharge in Scotland

Delayed discharge costs our NHS over £100 million per year, with NHS Lothian accounting for £28 million of the total. That means less money to spend on treating patients who require medical attention, while patients awaiting discharge are being kept in hospital for longer than they need to be, says Tory health spokesman Miles Briggs.

Shona Robison promised three years ago that she would ‘eradicate delayed discharge’ in just one year.

Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative Health Spokesman, said: “It is very worrying that NHS Lothian accounts for almost a quarter of delayed discharge in Scotland.

“NHS Lothian faces it’s on unique challenges in social care, but it is very apparent that there areas that they could be doing better in.

“SNP Ministers continue to shirk responsibility for the social care crisis that is happening in NHS Lothian.

“The Scottish Conservatives are calling for a progress review of how integrated health and social care boards are working so that we can ensure that action is being taken to reduce delayed discharge.”

Mr Briggs also commented on operation cancellations – a quarter of NHS Lothian operation cancellations are due to capacity issues.

The Scottish Conservatives say this highlights the effect on patients of the widespread staffing crisis in our NHS with over 2,500 vacant nursing and midwifery posts and over 400 vacant consultant posts across Scotland. They have repeatedly called for improved workforce planning in order increase the number of doctors and nurses. 

Miles Briggs said: “In the past year almost a quarter of operations that were cancelled by NHS Lothian were due to capacity issues. Over the last 11 years SNP Ministers have mismanaged the workforce planning of our NHS to the extent that we now have a staffing crisis.

“Instead of trying to secure a second independence referendum, Sturgeon should be focussed on tackling the immediate problems in our health system that affect Scots every day.”