Highest ever number of people stuck in hospital

Responding to new Public Health Scotland figures which showed 2,030 people were stuck in hospital in October due to their discharge being delayed, the worst on record, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

“SNP mismanagement has led to record-breaking numbers of people stuck in hospital unnecessarily because they can’t get the care they need at home or in the community.

“These delays are failing patients, contributing to agonising waits in A&E and creating pressures right across our NHS. It goes to show that you can’t save our NHS unless you fix the care crisis.

“After three years, it’s time the SNP admitted their NHS Recovery Plan is bust and needs rewritten. Scottish Liberal Democrats are also demanding that ministers stop wasting millions on their doomed takeover of social care because it’s money that should be spent on services and staff to enable people leave hospital on time.”