Concerns have been raised about the increasing number of delayed discharges being experienced in Fife.
Councillor Tim Brett, who is a member of the health and social care partnership, has highlighted the fact that the figures for July 2014, at 96 delayed discharges, are at the highest level they have been since January 2011.
Twelve patients have been waiting more than 12 weeks and a further 27 are waiting more than four weeks.
Mr Brett said: “I am aware from my previous experience that this is a very worrying figure, particularly as this is in the summer months and we would normally expect to see an increasing number of delayed discharges over the winter period.
“I am sure that this number will be causing real concern to NHS Fife as they struggle to keep up with both emergency demands on their services and also deal with waiting lists.
“I know that this number of patients will also be increasing costs to the NHS of several million pounds and given the fact that the council’s social work service are also facing very real financial pressures this must be a major worry.”
Mr Brett has also asked get regular information on delayed discharges at the health and social care partnership in future.
A spokesperson for NHS Fife said: “Fife, like many areas in Scotland, continues to experience real challenges in the demand for hospital care.
“Patient flow through the hospital is essential to maintain capacity to provide emergency care.
“Currently, the discharge of some patients who have completed hospital treatment is proving challenging due to balancing the increasing demand for home care with local authority resources available.
“In order to resolve this situation, Fife Council and NHS Fife are working closely to look at additional measures which can be taken to identify new solutions for enabling earlier discharge.
“The plans aim to release available capacity and ensure continued safe and effective delivery of emergency care in hospitals in Fife.
“The efforts of staff during these periods of significant pressure are evident.
“Local primary care teams and community staff liaise daily with specialist staff in the hospital to coordinate care plans and support the transition to home, often developing solutions to increasingly complex care needs.
“We aim to build on the capacity in communities as partners in care to support the growth for care at home.
“To support Fife’s plans, the Scottish Government have identified funding to test a new model of home-care provision with a re-ablement approach linked into our joint hospital teams.
“The framework for monitoring a range of key target areas aligned with care in Fife such as emergency admission rates, delayed discharges and activity levels across a range of services within the partnership is significant.”
Councillor Andrew Rodger said: “Councillor Brett has been given assurances from myself as chair of health and social partnership that figures on delayed discharges are public knowledge.
“They are issued on a quarterly basis from the Scottish Government.
“We are dealing with a national challenge and an ageing population with more and more complex needs, who need to be given the right care in the right place at the right time.”