Fife has to get to grips with its bed blocking crisis “as a matter of urgency” according to a new report.
The Care Inspectorate and Healthcare Improvement Scotland report looked into the way the NHS Fife and Fife Council cared for older people.
While there was some good practice when it came to delayed discharges which Health Secretary Shona Robison has made a top priority the results were said to be mixed, having “a negative impact” on patients and their carers.
Discharge planning was patchy, down primarily to the unavailability of care home services.
Across nine areas scrutinised, only two were considered to be “good”.
One was weak with the partnership “struggling” to produce a detailed strategic plan and only adequate in another six.
And the study, making 10 recommendations for improvements, recommended the partnership urgently put in place measures which will ensure older Fifers were not stuck in wards when they were ready to leave hospital.
It revealed the Fife Partnership had yet to consistently meet the Scottish Government’s delayed discharge targets but was making changes, although it was too early to say if they were having a positive difference.
Fife’s Health and Social Care Director Sandy Riddell welcomed the recommendations, stressing he believed Fife can make integration a success.
“Together we can create an environment for an effective blend of care services to flourish.”
For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Fife edition of The Courier.