ISD Scotland figures published today show that the annual number of bed days as a result of delayed discharges from hospital is on the rise across NHS Borders.
The number of bed days has increased from 10,163 in 2016/17 to 13,853 in 2017/18, an increase of 36 per cent.
The average number of bed days per day has also increased as a result from 28 to 38.
Commenting on the figures, Rachael Hamilton MSP said:
“This is an extremely worrying situation, as delayed discharge has caused huge problems in hospitals for several years now.
“It’s time that the SNP stopped dithering and came up with a plan that properly addressed this. This has been rumbling on now for years.
“Patients are going through a miserable time when they should be looking forward to leaving hospital and returning home”