According to reports from Scottish medical institutions, a patient whom doctors considered unexpectedly discharged from the hospital has remained there for more than seven years, which has become a record. The national health service confirmed that one of the patients spent 2,576 days in the hospital, which equates to seven years and 21 days. A series of requests for information submitted by Conservative members of the Scottish Parliament revealed that many patients wait years to be discharged from the hospital after being informed that this is safe.
A number of patients in the NHS in Highland and Lothian are waiting for discharge for more than four years, while in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde - the largest healthcare organization in Scotland - a patient has already waited more than 1,334 days. Official figures showed that in November alone, patients delayed in discharge from the hospital spent an additional 60,696 days in the hospitals, which is 7% higher than last year's data for the same month. This occurred shortly after the Scottish government announced the cancellation of long-term plans for the national health service.
The representative of the Scottish government stated: "We cannot comment on individual patients, however, extraordinary complex cases exist, including patients with mental disabilities or complex positive cases in hospitals, where it is extremely difficult to find an appropriate care package."
Graham Crombie, the executive director of NHS Lothian, noted: "Often when a patient remains in the hospital for a prolonged period, it is related to the need for a large, complex, and individualized care package, which complicates its provision by partners in healthcare and social services in the community," adding that work is underway "to address the issue of delays in discharge, including improving access to care in community healthcare and home care."
