Local Labour MSP Colin Smyth has revealed that the SNP Government’s failure to honour their pledge to abolish delayed discharge has cost NHS Dumfries and Galloway nearly £3 million in the last financial year alone.

Figures released from the Scottish Government’s Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland shows that in the financial year 2017/18, 12,099 bed days were lost due to delayed discharge in Dumfries and Galloway. This was at a cost of £2,831,166.

In 2015, the then Health Secretary, Shona Robison, promised to abolish delayed discharge. So far the SNP have failed to honour this promise.

Colin Smyth MSP said, “It is appalling that 3 years after the SNP promised to abolish delayed discharge we still see eye watering costs associated with delayed discharge. It is simply unacceptable that this broken promise is costing our local health board nearly £3 million while putting our overworked NHS staff under even more pressure.

Hundreds of patients in Dumfries and Galloway are having to remain in hospital beds unnecessarily when they could be receiving appropriate care at home. The failure to tackle the social care crisis and delays in care assessments – a result of SNP Government’s cuts to Dumfries and Galloway Council are causing this multi-million- pound scandal.

The next Scottish Labour Government will deliver a National Guarantee for care workers, ensuring all workers are given appropriate training and paid the living wage to reform our social care sector.”