Bed blocking maintained at low level despite admissions returning to normal level

Delayed Discharge bed use in Scotland from April 2019 to April 2021. This is a line chart showing the average number of beds occupied per day by delayed discharges. The average number of beds fluctuates during 2019 and peaks in February 2020, before reducing dramatically in April 2020. The measure increases each month from June 2020 to September 2020 and then remains fairly steady to April 2021..
https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/health-and-social-care/delayed-discharges/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly/

From NHS Scotland today:

In April 2021, the average number of beds occupied per day due to delayed discharges was 1,087. This is similar to March 2021 when the daily average was 1,092, and lower than the monthly average prior to COVID-19 measures being put in place.

Admissions have increased from 1 535 in January 2021 to 2 602 in April 2021:

https://data.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/detail.html#:~:text=Emergency%20admissions%20have%20since%20increased,week%20ending%2025%20April%202021.&text=They%20have%20since%20increased%20to,is%20having%20across%20the%20NHS.

One thought on “Bed blocking maintained at low level despite admissions returning to normal level”

  1. And, of course, the most effective way of reducing the ‘blocking’ of hospital beds is to be able to discharge patients into care facilities in the community. Unfortunately, at the start of this century the Tories reneged on a cross party agreement for such changes, and, since then, we have had the increasing privatisation of the care sector, with staff on minimum wages, short or zero hours contracts, poor supplies of PPE, often poor hygiene and infection control measures, but, most important of all BIG PROFITS FOR CARE HOME CORPORATIONS BASED IN “TAX HAVENS”.

    Mr Gary Smith of the GMB and the Morning Star blame the Scottish Government.

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