Delayed discharges are seriously harming people’s health and costing the county a fortune, according to a major charity.

New figures have revealed the number of patients spending unnecessary days in hospital in the NHS Ayrshire and Arran area due to delayed discharge have risen by 16.3 per cent, compared to the same period last year.

Delayed discharge is when a patient is medically cleared to go home but cannot leave hospital, often because a social care package is not in place.

The majority of these bed days took place in North and South Ayrshire Council areas, where there were more than 2,000 bed days in each. East Ayrshire recorded less than half as many, with just 730 bed days.

ISD Scotland estimates that the cost of delayed discharges in NHS Scotland in 2017/18 was an average of £248 per bed per day. That would put the cost of the 4,770 lost days in Ayrshire and Arran at approximately £1,182,960.

Now Age Scotland, the national charity for older people, has called on the Scottish Government to make investment in health and social care a top priority in next month’s budget, after figures published today show cases of delayed discharge from hospital remain stubbornly high

The latest statistics from ISD Scotland show a five per cent increase in the total number of people who had their discharge from hospital delayed at the November 2019 census point compared to November 2018.

Almost 1,000 – 985 – were over the age of 75.

Health and social care reasons accounted for 892 delays which is a huge 76 per cent.

The delayed discharges are “unacceptable”, according to South of Scotland MSP Colin Smyth.

Age Scotland’s Chief Executive Brian Sloan, said: “We are extremely disappointed to see the latest delayed discharge figures remain stubbornly high. Of the 1,485 people being kept in hospital in November despite being medically fit to go home, nearly 1000 are over the age of 75, and for 3 in 4 this was because the appropriate social care wasn’t available.

“This highlights the tremendous strain that Scottish social care is under with stretched budgets, a lack of staff and an ageing population. There just isn’t enough availability in the community.

“Despite repeated promises from the Scottish Government to tackle delayed discharges through integrated Health and Social Care partnerships, today’s figures show that progress isn’t being made.

“We know that older people stuck in hospital beds as a result of delayed discharge are effectively ageing 30 years in just three weeks, and long hospital admissions put patients at increased risk of infection, loss of mobility and can severely impact their mental health and loneliness. It’s no surprise older people are afraid to go into hospital in case they never leave.

“We urgently need more recruitment and investment in our precious social care services and we call on ministers and MSPs to make this a priority as they negotiate next month’s Scottish budget.”