NHS Fife in ‘critical’ condition says its own chairman
ByClaire Warrender
Allan Burns.
The chairman of Fife NHS has warned the service is in a “critical” condition because of bed blocking.
Allan Burns said patients are being put at increased risk and staff are under unreasonable stress as delayed discharge figures hit their highest level in three years.
In a letter to former health secretary Alex Neil, Mr Burns claimed the health board was being forced to provide clinically inappropriate in-patient care.
The letter was written in September but leaked to The Courier this week as Mr Burns and Fife Council leader David Ross prepare to lobby the Scottish Government.
The pair reckon it will take an additional £3 million to tackle the escalating problem and allow elderly and vulnerable people out of hospital to be cared for in the community.
More than 11,200 bed days were taken up by patients who did not need to be in hospital in the third quarter of this year. Almost 75% of those were patients aged over 75 waiting for alternative care arrangements to be made.
Mr Burns and Mr Ross will meet new Health Secretary Shona Robison to discuss cash to help get people out of hospital.
