THE Scottish Government is to inject £100 million of funding into tackling delayed discharge.
If the measure in the Scottish Budget is approved by MSPs in the year, the funding will make the Hospital at Home service the “biggest hospital in the country”.
The service, which offers a safe alternative to admission to an acute hospital, will grow to 2000 beds by December 2026 under the proposals.
The money will also ensure all A&E departments in Scotland have frailty units directly linked to community care settings.
It forms part of an overall £200 million package to clear the majority of new outpatient and treatment time patient waits and renew the NHS, the Scottish Government said.
Social Care Minister Maree Todd visited Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline on Friday to outline the package of measures to reduce delayed discharge.
She said: “Reducing delayed discharges is a key priority for the Scottish Government and the Budget we published last week will throw the weight of the government behind NHS improvement.
“More than 96% of all hospital discharges happen without delay but we are working with local health partners and local government to find solutions for those that don’t and address the variation we are seeing across Scotland.
“Our Budget for 2025-26, if approved by Parliament, will provide £200m to help clear waiting list backlogs, improve capacity and remove blockages that keep some patients in hospital longer than necessary.
“Once someone has been assessed as well enough to be discharged from hospital, the best place for them to be is at home, supported by a bespoke care package. This can be delivered by services for older people such as Hospital at Home, and evidence shows that those benefitting from it are more likely to avoid hospital or care home stays for up to six months after an acute illness.
“We want to expand that service to make it the ‘biggest hospital in Scotland,’ providing the very best care, in the comfort of a patient’s own home or home-like setting.”
As part of a record £21 billion investment in health and social care, the draft Scottish Budget for 2025/26, includes more than £2bn for social care and integration.
Todd added: “We have a plan to renew our NHS and the Budget’s record funding for the health service will ensure that 150,000 extra patients are treated, deliver additional support for GPs, and invest in new hospitals at Belford and Monklands.
“We want to improve our NHS, but to do that Parliament must approve our Budget to unlock investment to drive long-term and lasting improvements – and the healthier population that we all want to see. The NHS needs Parliament to unite behind this Budget.”
