Worst ever delayed discharges in 2023/24

Commenting after official statistics showed delayed discharges were the worst ever in 2023/24, with patients spending a total of 666,190 days stuck in hospital, the highest since records began, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

"Scotland's care services are in crisis and these figures show more people than ever are stuck in hospital unnecessarily. It's worsening their health, contributing to record-breaking waits in A&E and leading to dangerous ambulance delays.

"The SNP said they would end this scandal but it's now the worst it has ever been. They can't get the basics right, are totally out of ideas and have got to go.

"Fixing the care crisis is at the very heart of the Liberal Democrat offer to the country at this election. Our plans for a £500m rescue package will enable people to be released from hospital and relieve the pressure on the NHS. We will create a new minimum wage for care workers, £2 higher than the national minimum wage, to tackle the chronic staff shortages in care and make social care a profession of choice.

"Every vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote to fix social care, get people the care they need, and to save our NHS."