More than 1,800 people stuck in hospital every day

Scottish Affairs spokesperson Christine Jardine MP has today urged Michael Matheson to “do the right thing now” and scrap the ministerial takeover of social care in one of his first acts as Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, as new Public Health Scotland figures show there are more than 1,800 people waiting in hospitals every day due to delayed discharge.

In February 2023, the average number of beds occupied per day by patients deemed fit to leave hospital was 1,848. There was also an 8% increase in the number of days spent in hospital by people whose discharge was delayed, from 47,713 in February 2022 to 51,732 days in February 2023.

In 2015, the SNP Government promised to “eradicate delayed discharges from the system” within a year.  

Christine Jardine MP commented:    

“Every time we see devastating figures like these, it lays bare the ongoing crisis in social care. Every time, we see the proof of ministerial failure and the price being paid by patients and hardworking NHS staff.

“The Government’s answer to the social care crisis is a ministerial takeover which will not work. As one of his first acts in his new job, Michael Matheson must do the right thing now and scrap, not salvage this billion-pound bureaucracy entirely. The Cabinet Secretary must instead invest money into services and staff.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats would support social care today by setting national standards and entitlements for users to drive up the quality of care and move quickly to reward staff with better pay, conditions and career progression through powerful national bargaining.”