Learning disability patients waiting years to leave hospital

Some patients with learning disabilities are waiting years to leave hospital despite no longer needing treatment, the Mental Welfare Commission has warned. Staff visited four units for people with learning disabilities across Scotland and found that half of the 54 patients were waiting to be discharged.

The commission praised the care and treatment being received by patients but called on integrated health and social care boards to take urgent action to end unacceptable'' delayed discharges.

A visit to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's Claythorn House found there were six patients waiting to be discharged - with the longest delay dating to 2016.

A report on the facility said: While we heard of progress for some patients, there were others for whom there were no plans in place and we were very concerned about what this means for the individual.''

Blythswood House, also NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, had six patients who were deemed fit for discharge but this had been delayed in some instances for a number of years, due to a lack of suitable community resources to meet their needs on an ongoing basis''.

At Arrol Park, in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, the commission found nine patients for whom no alternative accommodation could be found, while at NHS Tayside's Carseview Centre six out of 10 patients were recorded as delayed discharges who no longer needed care and treatment on an inpatient basis.

A report on the facility said: We feel that there are significant risks this will have a detrimental effect on the health of these individual patients and that this will also delay the admission to hospital of other people in the community ho have been assessed as requiring a period of inpatient care and treatment.''

Alison Thomson, executive director of nursing at the commission, said: Two years ago we published a national report on people with learning disabilities in hospital.

At that time, we found that a third of patients in learning disability units had been identified as ready to leave hospital, but were awaiting a suitable move.

We called the situation unacceptable, and made specific recommendations to address this issue, so it is particularly disappointing to find continued high levels of delayed discharge in the four units we visited this year.

A hospital is not a home, and is not a suitable place for long term living for people who do not need that level of care and treatment.

Delayed discharge also prevents hospital admission for other people in the community who have been assessed as needing a period of inpatient care and treatment.''

A Scottish Government spokesman said: People should receive the right care in the right place at the right time, and no-one should stay longer in treatment facilities than is necessary.

We expect Integration Authorities to work with partners to provide appropriate care in community settings.

However, many of these patients have complex and challenging needs that cannot always be easily managed in a community setting.

This summer we will publish findings and recommendations of our commissioned investigation into out-of-area placements and delayed discharges of adults with learning disabilities.

This will help shape our efforts to develop community provision, and reduce delayed discharges and people being treated away from their home regions.''