Sturgeon accused of failing to prevent rise in delayed discharges at hospitals

There were 168 patients waiting six weeks or more to be discharged in January after being declared clinically fit to leave. This compares with 128 at the October census, and 83 in January 2010.

Overall, there were 790 delayed discharges in Scotland in the latest round of statistics, compared with 776 at the October 2010 census, and 606 in January last year.

Delayed discharges, or bed-blocking, occur in most cases when patients are unable to leave hospital because they are waiting for care arrangements to be put in place or adaptations to be made to their homes.

Labour's health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: "Not only has bed-blocking grown since the last census, but the number of patients delayed for over six weeks has increased on the same time last year. It is clear that health secretary Nicola Sturgeon has failed to take control of the problem."

Theresa Fyffe, director of the Royal College of Nursing Scotland, said: "Unnecessary hospital stays are not dignified and benefit no-one. This upward trend in delayed discharges must be reversed to make patient care better for all."

The Scottish Government had previously wiped out bed-blocking for more than six weeks and a spokeswoman said that the current position was "not good enough".