Dunfermline hospital unit worst for out of hours patient discharge

Patients in the high dependency unit at Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline are more likely to be discharged out of hours than in any other unit in Scotland, according to a report.

In the Scottish Intensive Care Society Audit Group document, the figure of 35%, which relates to discharges between 8.01pm and 7.59am, compares with 25% at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, the second highest.

The report also states some ICUs are moving nearly a tenth of patients to another ward prematurely while the problem does not affect other units at all.

Although moving patients at nights and weekends has decreased, discrepancies exist across Scotland.

Ayr Hospital releases nearly a quarter of patients out of hours and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary discharges 20% of ICU patients to other wards outwith normal hours.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Jackson Carlaw said: “The experts here have made clear that this is the result of staffing and capacity.

“What more proof could the Scottish Government need that its method of slashing nursing numbers so radically has backfired?”