NEW figures revealing a sharp increase in the number of bed-blocking cases in Aberdeen sparked a political row last night.
Council statistics showed 34 patients were stuck in hospital for more than six weeks after being cleared to leave in 2012-13, compared with just two the previous year.
Aberdeen Central MSP Kevin Stewart called on Health Secretary Alex Neil to investigate, saying the needs of vulnerable people in the city were not being met.
But the city council and NHS Grampian said the situation had improved and the figures were now comparable to similar-sized council areas such as Edinburgh, Fife and the Highlands.
The Labour-led council also revealed plans to open a new care accommodation unit on the site of a converted sheltered-housing complex by the end of the year.
The revamped Clashieknowe building, in Bridge of Don, will be one of the first of its kind in Scotland, providing 19 flats for people well enough to leave hospital but not yet fit to return home.
SNP MSP Mr Stewart said the bed-blocking situation had to be brought to the attention of the Scottish Government.
“Delayed discharges are often a personal tragedy for the individuals involved and a hugely unnecessary drain on tight healthcare resources.
“It is appalling that on 34 occasions last year patients with no medical requirement to be in hospital had to wait in excess of six weeks before they could be discharged.
“This raises serious questions about the joint working between the health board and Aberdeen City Council.”
Council finance convener Willie Young said he would welcome a visit from the health secretary to see “the good work” being done in Aberdeen.
He added: “We will be opening up Clashieknowe in about six weeks. It would be an early Christmas present for the minister to see what Aberdeen is doing to deal with this issue.
“We recognised the problem and we are doing something about it.
“We have increased our spending on social care after 60% was cut on Kevin Stewart’s watch here in Aberdeen.”
A council spokesman acknowledged that the number of delayed discharges was “clearly too high”, but stressed progress has been made, with figures well below those which were being recorded as recently as 2009.
He said: “More and more people are leaving hospital more quickly, with more and more complex care needs, at a time when the care capacity in the city has not been increasing.
“A significant amount of work is being carried out with local and national agencies to increase care capacity.”
An NHS Grampian spokesman said numbers could “vary significantly from month to month” and were affected by factors such as the availability of staff, which had been an issue in Aberdeen.
He added: “Facilitating prompt and effective discharge is always of great concern to both the council social work department and NHS Grampian.
“We review the situation jointly on a very regular basis with both parties actively contributing, as can be witnessed by the fact that by April 2013 there were no delays over six weeks and in fact no delays over four weeks, which is the new standard expected.”
The council and the health board aim to have no delays of more than two weeks by April 2015.
Comment, Page 30