This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Funding increase to drive down bed blocking
30/09/2004
Additional funding from the Scottish Budget 2004 will be used to drive down levels of bed blocking by 20 per cent each year until 2008, it was announced today.
Total resources for local authorities to provide community care services will increase by £239 million by 2007-08, an increase of more than 15 per cent over 3 years. As well as money for reducing delayed discharge, £53 million will be provided to help meet the needs of Scotland's growing elderly population over the next three years.
However, Deoputy Health Minister Tom McCabe also warned Local Authority and Health Board Partnerships that reductions in the number of people delayed too long in hospital beds must be sustained. Latest quarterly statistics, released today, showed a 9.1 per cent rise in the number of people waiting more than six weeks to be discharged at the July 2004 census.
Mr McCabe said:
"There is no doubt that we have made substantial progress in reducing delayed discharge over the last two years. Since the Delayed Discharge Action Plan was launched in March 2002, the number of patients delayed for more than 6 weeks has almost halved, while the number delayed for more than 12 months has reduced by 66 per cent.
"The Executive's commitment to reducing delayed discharge is clear. As well as increased funding for local authorities, which will be used to fund care home places and speed up access to home care services, the Executive will continue its additional investment of £30 million a year specifically for delayed discharge.
"However the pattern now emerging of seasonal fluctuations in the figures must end. From next year I want Partnerships to achieve sustained reductions not just on an annual basis, but quarterly. The Scottish Budget announced yesterday committed Partnerships to achieve 20 per cent reductions each year until 2008.
"We are not just talking about statistics. These figures represent frail elderly people allowed to languish for too long in inappropriate hospital settings. Partnerships need to show that the progress made over the past three years will be sustained.
"I plan to meet with local authority and health board partnerships very soon and will make it clear that I want to see swift action to determine the cause of these fluctuations and address them.
"We are also looking at new ways in which we can speed up progress. I have set up an expert group on delayed discharge which is looking at all options available to improve the way we tackle the problem, including both incentives for those who perform well and penalties for those who don't. It is due to report to me by the end of this year.
Commenting on Scottish Executive statistics released today on Care Homes, Mr McCabe said:
"This quarter's figures have shown another small drop in the number of care home residents in Scotland.
"To some extent this reflects the growing number of people who are able to stay in their own homes thanks to the availability of more intensive packages of care.
"Research has consistently informed us that most older people want to be cared for in their own homes wherever possible. In 2002-03, more than 2,100 more older people received home care services than in the previous year, while the number of older people living in their own homes and receiving more than 10 hours of home care each week increased by 41 per cent between 2000 and 2003.
"However we are aware that there will continue to be people for whom care in a care home is the only or the best option.
"Since 2001, the Executive and local authorities have invested over £140m to increase the level of care home fees and ensure that care home places are available for those who need them. COSLA and the independent care home sector will meet shortly to agree the terms of a new funding solution to apply from April 2005 onwards.
"Scotland's elderly population is growing and this will place additional demands on care services. We are currently carrying out a review of community care services. The Review will look at how we can continue to meet the care needs of Scotland's elderly population up to 2018, and where the balance of care might lie in future between care at home and in care homes."
There is a generally accepted period of six weeks after a patient has been assessed as clinically ready for discharge, to allow arrangements to be made for that patient's care after leaving hospital.