Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MSP, Alasdair Allan, has expressed his concern and disappointment at the findings of the Care Inspectorate’s Joint Inspection of services for older people in the Western Isles.
The 98-page report highlights “important weaknesses in key performance outcomes”, and says that a “significant proportion of older people… had been subject to delayed discharges from hospital”. The report highlights that many people have had to wait “significant lengths of time to receive care at home , support, or access to a care home” The report also noted that “Historically there had been difficulties in aspects of partnership working between NHS Western Isles and the Comhairle… They were now facing the consequences of this in high numbers of delayed discharges.”
The partnership was marked as “weak” on three of the quality indicators measured, and “adequate” on five others.
However, the report does also indicate that the picture has improved since the Council and Health Board started working more closely together. The inspection was conducted before the appointment of a Chief Officer to the Joint Integration Board.
Alasdair Allan commented:
“This report confirms the complaints I have made to the Council in the past about individual cases of patients being left in hospital for many months on end for the lack of a care package. A few months ago I met with Cabinet Secretary for Health, Shona Robison, to discuss this issue.
“While I am satisfied that the Joint Integration Board in the islands has made progress since it came into being, something which the report recognises, it is alarming to learn how this situation has been allowed to develop in the past.
“I believe that the Council and Health Coard now work together much more successfully than was the case a year or two ago, and indeed much of the pressure on the system has been relieved by the additional beds now available at Bethesda. However, there is no escaping the shortcomings of both the Council and the Health Board in their collective inability to get to grips with what were at one point probably amongst the longest-delayed cases of “delayed discharge” from hospital anywhere in Scotland. None of these problems are the fault of the hospital staff, or indeed care workers in the islands, of whom the report speaks positively. We should be proud of the dedication and professionalism our health and care works show on a daily basis.
“The report makes a number of key recommendations, and I have confidence that the Joint Integration Board are already working on them. However, the fact is that the report highlights a history of difficulties between the Health Board and the Council, and the human impact which this has had.
“Nationally, this SNP Government has made it clear that reducing delayed discharge is a key NHS priority, and during the budget the Deputy First Minister announced investment of £250 million in 2016/17 through health and social care partnerships, to protect and grow social care services. However, more work needs to be done on a local level to ensure our older folk are adequately provided for in the future.”
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