Rise in hospital re-admissions

Money has been allocated to tackle bed blocking

The number of elderly patients being re-admitted to Scottish hospitals shortly after being discharged has risen by 14%, it has emerged.

Figures showed that the largest increase came in Grampian, where more than a third of those aged over 75 were back in hospital within 28 days.

The Scottish National Party said the statistics were a disturbing sign of the "indecent haste" with which the Scottish Executive was trying to tackle bed-blocking.

We are concerned that the lives of elderly people are being put at risk

Nicola Sturgeon

However, the executive said it would re-examine the situation if there was any reason for concern over the figures.

There are currently about 3,000 elderly patients in hospital waiting for suitable places in care homes.

The Scottish Executive has allocated £20m to tackling the problem, helping councils to provide more places in homes for patients coming out of hospital.

However, the figures provided by Health Minister Malcolm to the SNP's health spokeswoman Nicola Sturgeon showed that re-admissions for patients aged 75 and over have risen by 14%.

The number re-admitted to hospital within 28 days increased from 15,736 in 1998 to 17,955 last year.

'Indecent haste'

In Grampian the re-admission rate jumped by 37%, from 928 to 1,273, while there were also increases of 24% in North Glasgow, 25% in the Borders and 34% in Lothian.

Ms Sturgeon said: "Clearly the problem of bed blocking is something that should be tackled, but not by putting people at risk.

"This certainly raises a concern with me that elderly patients might be getting discharged too early and therefore find themselves back in hospital within a relatively short time-scale."

And she added: "We are concerned that the lives of elderly people are being put at risk by an executive that is discharging people too early from hospital in their indecent haste to try and reach their waiting list and waiting time targets."

The Scottish Executive confirmed that the number of re-admissions in the older age group was increasing.

A spokesperson said the situation would be examined if there were any "reasons for concern" emerged over the figures.