Delays in patients being discharged from hospitals in Glasgow have cost over £30 million.

New figures show that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spent £31,416,053 in 2021/22 due to delayed discharges.

Delayed discharges occur when a patient who is clinically ready for discharge from inpatient hospital care continues to occupy a hospital bed beyond the date they are ready for discharge. This often happens because the necessary care or accommodation for them isn’t in place, or funding isn’t available for a care home place.

The issue places further pressure on hospital services. In Glasgow last year, 113,211 bed days were lost.

Spending on delayed discharges in NHS Lanarkshire cost £16 million and just under £150 million in Scotland as a whole. Patients aged 75 and over made up 66 per cent of those facing delays.

Want to see more SNP fails? – Education Matters