Bed blocking has soared in Fife as a home care funding crisis continues.
Between 128 and 140 people are now stuck in hospital waiting for care packages to allow them to return home or to an appropriate community setting, up from a previous figure of 99.
The shock revelation was made as it emerged NHS Fife has finally agreed to hand over £1.5 million to Fife Council to help alleviate the situation.
A deal was struck at a meeting between health and council chiefs this week, days after the local authority expressed frustration that the NHS board had seemingly reneged on a commitment to help fund community care.
The sum now agreed, however, is just half the amount originally promised, and with an assumed £3m payment from the Scottish Government unlikely to materialise and winter yet to bite, the council is still left with a problem.
Despite this, council leader David Ross described the settlement as a significant step forward.
“That aside, we will continue to press the Scottish Government and the NHS for what we believe should be further funding from them in the current financial year,” he said.
Fife Council chief executive Steve Grimmond said the £1.5m from the health board would help contain delayed discharges to around 80.
“We believe the system can manage that amount sufficiently,” he said, although he cautioned that a significant event, such as a norovirus outbreak, would make matters difficult.
Last week the local authority revealed it was facing an £8m overspend in its social work service for older people and warned services could be reserved only for those in greatest need unless more money was forthcoming.
Local Liberal Democrat leader Tim Brett, who last week claimed the situation could worsen as winter set in, welcomed the agreement with NHS Fife, but added: “I don’t know whether last week’s publicity contributed to that.
“It’s a pity if that’s what it takes for people to come through.”
SNP councillor David Alexander claimed the Labour administration should not have assumed money would be coming from the Scottish Government and branded it a ploy to blame them for bad budgeting decisions.
Mr Ross responded: “Social care is significantly underfunded by the Scottish Government.”
Health secretary Shona Robison has said there is still money to be allocated to local authorities and urged Fife Council and NHS Fife to come up with a plan, something Mr Ross said had already been done.