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‘We’re doing the wrong thing’: Delayed hospital discharge adding to £2.5m overspend

By Hazel Lawson, Local Democracy Reporter

July 1 2022, 6:00 am

Cottage hospitals in Moray are full of people who could be at home but do not have the proper care package in place to support them.

That is the view of Simon Bokor-Ingram, chief officer of Health and Social Care Moray.

His comments came during a meeting of Moray Council’s Integration Joint Board (IJB) this week.

Delayed discharge is adding to the board’s overspend that stands at £2.5 million a year.

Interim chief financial officer Deborah O’Shea told the meeting there was just over £17 million in reserves, but there was a recurring overspend of £2.5 million that needed to be addressed.

Recurring overspend of £2.5m

While accepting there were initiatives in place to support people staying in their own homes as opposed being admitted to hospital, board member Derick Murray wanted action to be taken on the shortfall.

He said: “If we’re going to do more of this it’s going to cost the IJB more.

“It seems the IJB is being asked to do more and more – it’s a particularly difficult task.

“We’re trying to get people out of hospital because it costs a lot of money and trying to keep people at home – it’s a vicious circle.”

Mr Bokor-Ingram said: “If we look at our cottage hospitals at the moment, they’re pretty much full of folk who are delayed in their discharge.

Chief officer of Health and Social Care Moray Simon Bokor-Ingram.

“We have people in the most expensive place and it’s the worst place for them as it adds to their deterioration.

“We’re actually doing the wrong thing at the moment.”

He added that a “forensic examination” of the service was needed.

The board is progressing with initiatives including Hospital Without Walls which focuses on using systems and finding solutions to integrate all aspects of health care including acute, community and social care.