Edinburgh Labour list MSP Foysol Choudhury has slammed the SNP’s failure to end delayed discharge, after it was revealed that it has cost £82,411,987 in the City of Edinburgh over the last five years.
Statistics revealed by Scottish Labour have shown that the total cost of delayed discharge across Scotland has hit over £1bn over the last eight years.
In total, 325,736 bed days have been lost in Edinburgh due to delayed discharge between 2016/17 and 2020/21 with a total cost of £82,411,987.
Local MSP Foysol Choudhury has said that this is symbolic of SNP failure to deliver on its promises and shows the damage done to public health and finances by SNP incompetence.
He warned this will only get worse if the SNP fail to fix the growing crisis in social care, criticising the Scottish Government’s decision not to give carers a fair pay deal in this year’s budget.
The Edinburgh Labour MSP said: “Never mind the spin and promises, the numbers speak for themselves – SNP incompetence has cost Edinburgh £82,411,987 in delayed discharge alone.
“For years the SNP promised to end this dangerous and costly practice and for years they have failed.
“It is simply unacceptable to have patients left needlessly stranded in hospital and the public purse drained due to poor provision of care for those leaving hospital.
“Things will only get worse if the SNP fail to deal with the crisis in our social care system.
“This makes the SNP’s failure to give carers a fair deal in this budget all the more damaging.
“Ending this costly and dangerous practice must be top of Humza Yousaf’s priority list as we enter the new year.
“This means properly funding social care in Edinburgh and giving staff the real pay rise they so badly deserve.”
Delayed discharge 2016-17 to 2020-21:
| Local authority of residence | Total Bed Days lost | Total Costs |
| Scotland | 2,448,948 | £623,641,618 |
| Aberdeen City | 77,922 | £19,421,606 |
| Aberdeenshire | 74,507 | £18,812,235 |
| Angus | 29,759 | £7,593,790 |
| Argyll & Bute | 37,964 | £9,687,010 |
| City of Edinburgh | 325,736 | £82,411,987 |
| Clackmannanshire | 16,149 | £4,155,811 |
| Comhairle nan Eilean Siar | 32,742 | £8,267,394 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | 69,290 | £17,710,667 |
| Dundee City | 52,217 | £13,206,196 |
| East Ayrshire | 23,196 | £5,889,582 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 21,952 | £5,675,305 |
| East Lothian | 41,985 | £10,469,017 |
| East Renfrewshire | 10,978 | £2,805,220 |
| Falkirk | 87,703 | £22,374,280 |
| Fife | 171,809 | £43,936,581 |
| Glasgow City | 202,643 | £52,290,504 |
| Highland | 187,903 | £47,838,848 |
| Inverclyde | 8,444 | £2,139,961 |
| Midlothian | 52,311 | £13,330,822 |
| Moray | 55,017 | £13,953,009 |
| North Ayrshire | 78,324 | £20,076,967 |
| North Lanarkshire | 179,598 | £45,912,014 |
| Orkney | 6,365 | £1,627,198 |
| Other | 2,427 | £612,271 |
| Perth & Kinross | 68,060 | £17,087,463 |
| Renfrewshire | 31,950 | £8,342,877 |
| Scottish Borders | 59,496 | £15,215,448 |
| Shetland | 6,017 | £1,523,845 |
| South Ayrshire | 100,431 | £25,776,248 |
| South Lanarkshire | 194,721 | £49,369,081 |
| Stirling | 36,757 | £9,374,287 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 26,849 | £6,997,222 |
| West Lothian | 77,726 | £19,756,872 |
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