Shadow Health Secretary Jackie Baillie has expressed her concern at figures which show that the number of delayed discharges is on the rise, highlighting the failure of the SNP government in tackling bed blocking in Scotland’s hospitals.

There were 62 patients delayed for over 6 weeks in the July 2010 census. The SNP promised to keep the figure at zero, but only around a third of Scotland’s NHS boards met this target.

There were a total of 708 delayed discharges in Scotland in the latest round of statistics, compared with 579 at the April 2010 census, and 634 at the July 2009 census.

In West Dunbartonshire and Argyll and Bute the number of delayed discharges increased from 24 to 30 patients in the months between the April and July census.

Jackie said:

"There are still too many patients being kept in hospital long after they should have moved on to alternative accommodation.

"Not only has bed blocking grown since the last census, but the number of patients delayed for over 6 weeks has increased on the same time last year. It is clear that the SNP has failed to take control of the problem.

"Delayed discharges are a concern because any patient, particularly if elderly, has a higher risk of hospital acquired infection for every unnecessary day they spend in hospital.

"As bed blocking continues to rise, the SNP’s pledge is nothing more than empty words."