CRAIG Hoy, a Conservative MSP for South Scotland, has raised “significant concern” about the impact of patients being delayed from being discharged from hospital in the Borders after visiting Borders General Hospital near Melrose.
During his visit to the hospital, Mr Hoy met with the Chief Executive of NHS Borders, Ralph Robert, and board Chair Karen Hamilton, along with frontline hospital staff.
Craig Hoy discussed pressures facing the hospital’s emergency department, elective surgery department and medical assessment unit ahead of this Winter, when patient numbers are expected to increase.
At the time of the visit, 80 out of 310 beds in the hospital were occupied by patients ready to be discharged but waiting for a care-at-home package or for approval to be discharged by a family member.
The South Scotland MSP recently warned Members of the Scottish Parliament about the impact of delayed discharge on the NHS during a parliamentary debate, saying:“Problems seen in A&E, through the wards and down to the step-down Borders View interim care facility reflect the very real pressures that our local health service is facing. Particularly in social care and care at home. Many hospital patients who are ready to be discharged are being forced to wait several weeks and sometimes, sadly, months for care packages to be discharged from hospital.
“At the time of my visit, sadly, 80 out of 310 beds were occupied by patients ready to be discharged, and this was creating bottlenecks throughout the hospital, and despite the huge efforts of staff, this is still resulting in elective surgeries being cancelled.
“Alongside the Board Chair Karen Hamilton, I visited the Medical Assessment Unit, and this is supposed to signpost patients to a ward or another setting within 72 hours. Yet last week, there were five patients receiving end of life care in this unit.”
“With winter on the horizon I am very concerned that there is no further capacity to flex within the system."
Mr Hoy has also raised the reg flag about pressures facing GP surgeries.
He recently met with GPs at Earlston Medical Practice who warned that they are increasingly being asked to deliver secondary care in a primary care setting.
Hoy added: "This problem has come about through no fault of NHS staff whatsoever. It is simply because of capacity problems in the system. The Scottish Government is clearly to blame here."
He concluded: “I do hope that the Ministers here today will listen to patients, clinicians and properly resource our NHS and social care sectors in rural areas.”
Craig Hoy MSP said: “For those with loved ones ready to be discharged from hospital, it is imperative that they be allowed to be discharged home or into care in a timely manner to allow other patients bed space for treatment. A hospital is not a safe place for a loved one to remain in long-term should they be ready to be discharged.
“Ongoing delayed discharge issues at Borders General Hospital is a matter of significant concern which could have a devasting impact on patients as we head into the Winter period. I will continue to press the Scottish Ministers to use the powers they have to address workforce, funding and capacity issues affecting the Borders health service and social care sector.”
