Question reference: S6W-22754
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 7 November 2023
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Current status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 November 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the delayed discharge and hospital occupancy action plan, in light of reports that the number of patients waiting at least 24 hours in A&E is 200 times higher in 2023 than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer
The Action Plan reflects on the strong evidence of what we know works and builds on the firm foundations of best practice to reduce delayed discharges and overall hospital occupancy and reasserts the Scottish Government’s commitment to responding to the many challenges that still exist over the coming winter.
On 24-hour delays, while we absolutely need to work to reduce these instances, it is important to emphasize that these figures represent a fraction (0.6%) of all attendances to Emergency Departments in this period. The patients experiencing these waits will, in the main, be those who require admission and are waiting for a bed in a ward. They will have been triaged and seen by a doctor.