SAM echoes concerns raised by RCEM over delayed discharges in Scotland

Commenting on data published by Public Health Scotland on Tuesday (24 June) which revealed there were 720,119 days spent in hospital by people who were well enough to go home during the year 2024/5, Dr Claire Gordon, Scotland representative for the Society for Acute Medicine, said:

“SAM shares the concerns raised by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine about the record number delayed discharges across Scotland – an issue we also view as extremely concerning. 

“The persistence of exit-block represents a major system-wide failure: patients who are medically fit to leave but remain trapped in hospital with a lack of capacity pushing pressure back into acute and emergency settings. 

“As the RCEM warns, this not only prolongs painful corridor waits for patients and families, but also significantly raises the risk of avoidable harm. The impact on staff caring for patients in these conditions is also considerable both in terms of work load and moral distress.

“SAM calls on the Scottish Government to treat delayed discharge not as a downstream side-effect but as a core priority, with a focus on investment in social care and community-based services.

“Only by urgently addressing the ‘back door’ of hospitals can we create the space and safety needed in acute and emergency care. Until we ensure that patients can flow appropriately out of acute care, emergency departments will remain overcrowded, staff will be stretched to breaking point and vulnerable patients will continue to suffer unacceptable delays.”