Bed blocking traps hundreds in hospital

THE "potentially dangerous" problem of bed blocking returned to Scottish hospitals this summer, with official figures revealing that the number of delayed discharges among patients rose dramatically over three months.

A census of Scottish hospitals revealed 62 patients were stopped from being discharged for more than the six-week target period during the last quarter, an increase from zero in an April census, and a rise from the 55 seen in July 2009.

Overall, 708 patients experienced delays being sent home from hospital in Scotland, compared to the 579 reporting the issue in April and the 634 at the same time last year.

Politicians warned the problem - which sees patients who are well enough to be sent home forced to remain on the wards until other care arrangements are made - could damage health.

Elderly patients in particular are more susceptible to infections such as MRSA and C-difficile the longer they remain in hospital.

In addition, the problem can cause disruption to care for other inpatients awaiting treatment.

Bed blocking occurs when it is unsafe or impossible to discharge a patient because of problems with local authority-based care.

According to yesterday's census, delays to community care assessments were the most common reason for the problem, with waiting for available places in care homes second.

That led to calls for better working arrangements between local authorities and NHS boards to ensure a smooth transition of care for patients. Liberal Democrat public health spokesman Jamie Stone said: "Some patients are waiting longer for a bed because others are waiting weeks to be discharged from hospital. This is disappointing and potentially dangerous.

"Patients are often delayed because the resources are not available to take them in community facilities. The health secretary needs to better integrate hospitals and community health facilities to speed up the transfer of patients and cut delays."

Labour's Dr Richard Simpson said there were too many patients being kept in hospital long after they should have been discharged. He added: "Delayed discharges are a concern because any patient, particularly if elderly, has a higher risk of hospital-acquired infection for every unnecessary day they spend in hospital."

A spokeswoman for the BMA in Scotland added: "Blockages in the system can affect the achievement of waiting times further down the line. Obviously, if you can't get people out of the hospital, you can't free up the bed for another patient. That creates problems.

"This illustrates the importance of having better joint arrangements, where health and social services are working closer together.

"It could be because there aren't the resources available to give them (patients] the living assistance they need - whether that be occupational therapy or access to district nursing services or social care services such as meals on wheels."All these things contribute to allowing people to go home."

Minister for public health and sport Shona Robison said: "Health and social care staff across Scotland are working hard to drive down inappropriate delayed discharges.

"It is important that local authorities and health boards work together to ensure patients do not have to stay in hospital when treatment is complete.

"It is not good for the patient and it is not good for the health service."