Scots bed–blocking figures hit new low

Bed-blocking has fallen again to a record low for January, figures have revealed.

Official statistics show that last month, 54 patients had to be kept in hospital for more than six weeks after they were well enough to be discharged.

That is down from 69 in October last year and from 168 in January 2011.

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said January’s total was the “lowest ever recorded” for that month.

In most cases, bed-blocking, or delayed discharge, occurs when patients are unable to leave hospital because they are waiting for care to be arranged.

Overall there were a total of 571 delayed discharges from hospitals across Scotland in the January census – 219 less than 12 months previously. The latest figures show 197 patients were held up leaving hospital for more than four weeks, with 387 delayed more than two weeks.

Ms Sturgeon said: “We are clear in our ambitions to deal with the problem of delayed discharges.”