Delayed discharges in NHSScotland monthly
Figures for September 2024

About this release

Timely discharge from hospital is an important indicator of quality. It is a marker that care is person-centred, effective, integrated and harm-free.

A delayed discharge occurs when a hospital patient who is clinically ready for discharge from inpatient hospital care continues to occupy a hospital bed beyond the date they are ready for discharge.

Our monthly update

This release provides a monthly update on the:

• number of people experiencing a delay in discharge from hospital at the monthly census point – the last Thursday of the month
• number of hospital bed days associated with delayed discharges in the calendar month
• number of discharges from hospital that followed a period of delay in the calendar month

The data relate to people aged 18 years and over who were clinically ready for discharge.

Next release

The next release of this publication will be 3 December 2024.

Main points

Number of people delayed

At the September 2024 census, there were 1,951 people delayed.  Compared to the previous three census points this is less than August 2024 (2,009), July 2024 (1,961) and June 2024 (1,991).

The number of people delayed varies across the Local Authorities. Chart 4 in the All delay reasons workbook shows the variation in the rate of delays per population at the September 2024 census.

Length of delay at census point

The average (median) length of delay for people delayed at the September 2024 census was 29 days. This is greater than the figure for June, July and August 2024 (28 days).

Average number of beds occupied per day

In September 2024 the average number of beds occupied per day due to people delayed in hospital was 1,968. Compared to the previous three months, this is less than August 2024 (2,000), July 2024 (1,973) and June 2024 (1,983).

The chart below shows that the trend in the average daily number of beds occupied by people delayed in their discharge is predominantly driven by the trend in standard delays (health and social care and patient, family and carer related) reasons.

Delayed Discharge bed use in Scotland from September 2021 to September 2024, by delay reason This is a line chart with three lines showing the trend in the average number of beds occupied per day by people delayed in their discharge for all delay reasons, for standard delay reasons (Health and social care reasons and Patient, family and carer related reasons) and for Code 9 delay reasons (complex delays due to the specific care needs of the person). The chart shows that the majority of delayed discharge beds occupied during this period were due to standard delay reasons and changes in the All delay reasons trend are primarily driven by changes in the standard delay reasons. The average number of beds occupied per day for all delay reasons showed a general upward trend from September 2021 to November 2022, with some fluctuations. The trend was then generally downwards, with some fluctuation, to April 2023. Figures have then generally increased to August 2024 to reach the highest figure since the guidance was amended in July 2016 and then decreased in September 2024. The trend for the average number of beds occupied due to standard delay reasons follows a similar trend to that for all delay reasons as standard delays account for between 71% and 72% of all delays between the years 2021/22 to 2023/24. In September 2024 the proportion was 72%. The average number of beds occupied by people delayed in their discharge due to Code 9 delay reasons remained relatively stable from September 2021 to December 2021 before rising to March 2022. They then decreased to September 2022 before increasing to December 2022, then decreasing again to April 2023. The figures since April 2023 have generally increased to December 2023 before decreasing to February 2024 and then generally increasing to September 2024.

Close

Delayed Discharge bed use in Scotland from September 2021 to September 2024, by delay reason¹

¹ Further information on the Delay Reason definitions is available in the Definitions we use section of this publication.

Delayed days in hospital

In September 2024 there were 59,033 days spent in hospital by people whose discharge was delayed. This is a 9% increase on the number of delayed days in September 2023 (54,342).

Downloads

The tables show information grouped by delay reasons (see Definitions we use section for more information) and report information on the following:

• Census figures
  • Information on the number of people experiencing a delay in their discharge at the monthly census point. Information provided includes: reason for delay, location of delay and delay length.
  • The census figures include delays due to infection control measures in place at hospital or care home (delay reason codes 26X and 46X).
• Bed days occupied
  • The number of bed days associated with delayed discharges within a calendar month.
• Discharges following delay
  • Discharge from hospital following delay, discharges from hospital to home or placement following a period of delay within a calendar month.

Download the files associated with this month's report or access the open data.

All delay reasons

This workbook contains summary statistics for delayed discharges for all delay reason groupings.

Standard delay reasons

This workbook contains statistics for delays in discharge due to standard reasons (health & social care reasons and patient & family related reasons).

Complex delay reasons

This workbook contains statistics for delays in discharge due to code 9 (complex) reasons - Adults with Incapacity (AWI) and other code 9 reasons (non-AWI).

Open data

Data from this publication is available to download from the Scottish Health and Social Care Open Data portal.

Contacts

General enquiries

If you have an enquiry relating to this publication, please contact Simon Quirk at phs.delayeddischarges@phs.scot.

Further information

How we calculate our figures

The average number of beds occupied per day is calculated by dividing the total monthly number of delayed discharge bed days by the number of days in the calendar month.

We consider this daily average a better statistic for comparing month-on-month differences as the number of days in a month varies.

The percentage change is based on rounded figures.

Effects of COVID-19 on figures

The measures put in place to respond to COVID-19 have affected the delayed discharge figures in NHSScotland.

The marked fall in delayed discharges during 2020 is likely to be due to patients being moved out of hospital to increase capacity.

Definitions we use

Delay reasons

Since April 2016, following the integration of health and social care partnerships, delays are reported in three main categories.

Delays due to Health and social care reasons and Patient, family and carer related reasons can be aggregated into a single Standard delay reasons category. 

Code 9 complex reasons can be split into:

• code 9 - Adults with incapacity (AWI) reasons
• code 9 - other reasons

The latest data definitions and national data requirements came into effect on 1 July 2016. See data definitions and reporting for more information.

The figures in this publication are not directly comparable with other UK countries. This is due to differences in definitions and data reporting.

Statistical accreditation

This is an Accredited official statistics publication

Accredited official statistics are called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. Accredited official statistics status means that the official statistics meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and public value. They are identified by the quality mark shown above.

All official statistics should comply with the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice which promotes the production and dissemination of official statistics that inform decision making.

Once statistics become accredited official statistics, it is a statutory requirement that the Code of Practice shall continue to be observed.

These official statistics were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation in September 2011. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and should be labelled ‘Accredited official statistics'.

Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards.

Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.

Visit the UK Statistics Authority website for more information about the Code of Practice and Accredited official statistics.

Visit our website for further information about our statistics and PHS as an Official Statistics producer.

Pre-release access

Under terms of the "Pre-release Access to Official Statistics (Scotland) Order 2008", PHS is obliged to publish information on those receiving pre-release access ("pre-release access" refers to statistics in their final form prior to publication). The standard maximum pre-release access is five working days. Shown below are details of those receiving standard pre-release access.

Standard pre-release access:

• Scottish Government Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
• NHS board chief executives
• NHS board communication leads
• Chief Officers of Integrated Joint Boards formed under the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 (external website).

More information about delayed discharges

Find out more information about delayed discharges, including data definitions and reporting.

About Public Health Scotland (PHS)

PHS is a knowledge-based and intelligence driven organisation with a critical reliance on data and information to enable it to be an independent voice for the public’s health, leading collaboratively and effectively across the Scottish public health system, accountable at local and national levels, and providing leadership and focus for achieving better health and wellbeing outcomes for the population. Our statistics comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics in terms of trustworthiness, high quality and public value. This also means that we keep data secure at all stages, through collection, processing, analysis and output production, and adhere to the Office for National Statistics ‘Five Safes’ of data privacy.

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