This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Patient waiting targets met
30/06/2003
Targets to reduce delayed discharge have been met and exceeded by Local Authority and NHS Partnerships in Scotland, it was announced today.
Figures from the April 2003 census published by the Information and Statistics Division (ISD) today show:
- the number of patients ready for discharge from hospital was 2,066 - down from 3116 in January 2002;
- the number of patients waiting over six weeks to be discharged from hospital has reduced by over one third - from 1957 to 1249 - compared with the same time last year.
This exceeds the target set by the Executive outlined in the Delayed Discharge Action Plan to reduce by 1000 the number of patients who, though ready for discharge from hospital, remain there because the care, support or accommodation they need is not available.
Welcoming the news, Deputy Health Minister Tom McCabe, said:
"I am greatly encouraged by the contribution that Local Authority and NHS Partnerships have made to exceeding our national targets. These Partnerships have demonstrated the value of joint working and implemented local joint action plans which have made a real difference to reducing the number of people waiting to leave hospital for a more appropriate care setting.
"Our targets were ambitious and it is a tribute to the hard work and determination of all the Partnerships across Scotland that this achievement has been made. The Executive provided the funding to kick start action, but it is their commitment that has made the difference.
"The challenge for everyone now is to sustain this momentum. That is why a further £4.7m of funding is available to help Partnerships continue to make progress. This will not be released until I receive action plans from each area, detailing how it will be used to reduce the number of people waiting and setting new local targets for improvement.
"I want to see action that will help to sustain the improvements already made and reduce delayed discharge further - not just for the months, but for the years to come. Health and Social Care Partnerships must look at the services they provide and make sure that the right balance between health and social care services exists to meet future needs.
"This is an important, but not a small task. Demographic trends show that the number of older people in Scotland will continue to rise over the next twenty years. The review of community care services for older people, currently underway, will look at how we can continue to build capacity in health and social care services to meet the needs of our growing elderly population."
The Patients Ready for Discharge in NHSScotland statistics are published by the Information and Statistics Division (ISD) and can be accessed at: http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/joint_futures/delayed_discharges/ready_for_ discharges.htm
he Executive's Delayed Discharge Action Plan, announced in March 2002, was backed up by £20m of additional funding to local authority and Health Board partnerships to implement Local Joint Action Plans. The national target was to move 1000 people from hospital into more appropriate care settings in the community. The Action Plan can be accessed at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/health/delayeddischarge/
£10m is available from 2003-04 (announced as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review), with £5m of this already having been released to Partnerships at 1 April 2003 for further improvements.
The Executive's Partnership Agreement contains a commitment to continue to make inroads into the delayed discharge problem and to promote the development of appropriate convalescent care.