Deaths Awaiting Discharge - FOI Response Register

Please provide the following information under the FOI (Scotland) Act 2002:

1.    The number of patients who died in hospital while awaiting discharge after it was delayed

See attached spreadsheet

2.    The number of patients 65 and over who died in hospital while awaiting discharge after it was delayed

All patients listed in response to Q1 were over 65.

3.    The number of patients with dementia who died in hospital while awaiting discharge after it was delayed

In accordance with FOISA s 17(1), NHS Shetland confirms that it does not hold the information requested.

4.    For points 1-3 please also state how many were delayed because they were waiting for health and social care reasons.

A list of health and social care reasons for delayed discharge can be found in the attached spreadsheet (see tab 4) published by Public Health Scotland.

See attached spreadsheet

With regards to the yearly breakdown of discharges for health and social care reasons in accordance with FOISA s 16(1), NHS Shetland confirms that it holds the information requested but that it is exempt from disclosure under FOISA s 38(1)(d) as the information constitutes the health record of a deceased person. This is because the presence of small numbers in conjunction with a specific year and group of discharge reasons could identify a deceased person’s health record

Please provide this information for each calendar year since 2010 (including 2023).

With regards to pre June 2016 data in accordance with FOISA s 17(1), NHS Shetland confirms that it does not hold the information requested.

Please provide in excel format for ease of analysis.

I note from the following article that this information should be held by the health board:

Almost 500 Scottish people died in hospital while waiting to be discharged (ageuk.org.uk)