§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people have been assessed as being in need of long-term nursing care and are currently awaiting a placement(a) in total and (b) by local authority area. [58365]
§ Mr. GalbraithInformation on the number of patients awaiting a placement is not collected routinely. However, as at August 1998 Health Boards reported 1,716 patients in Scotland awaiting transfer from hospital to alternative continuing care. The information is not available by local authority care.
However, different Boards use different criteria for a "blocked bed" and the figures need to be interpreted with caution.
Not all the patients are assessed as requiring continuing nursing care. Those that are will have that care provided by an NHS Trust or by a registered nursing home under contract to the NHS.
Others, depending on assessed needs, will transfer to nursing home, residential home or domiciliary care under the lead responsibility of the local authority.
In every case, transfers to alternative care will be arranged only when the alternative planned care, support and accommodation are in place, appropriate and available.
Every effort is made to minimise delays in this process.
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