STEWART PATERSON

Political Correspondent

A DISABLED woman has been stuck in hospital for 210 days as council officials fail to agree a care package with her family.

Janice Arundel, 58, was cleared as fit to leave the Royal Infirmary in April and her newly purchased flat assessed as safe by the hospital and her occupational therapist.

The Council however, said she is not safe to be cared for at home and want instead to place her in residential care.

Her brother, Douglas said his sister has been at home with her mother all her life and wants the care package put in place and said the family is willing to contribute to the cost.

The case was raised With Nicola Sturgeon at First Ministers Questions by Glasgow Labour MSP Anas Sarwar, who said it was a “scandal”.

Ms Sturgeon agreed it was an unacceptable length of time and said she would look into the matter.

Ms Arundel has had learning difficulties from birth and has been blind for the last ten years but was living at home with her mother with a nine to five home care package.

She suffered two broken bones in her neck last December following a fall and was admitted to hospital.

Mr Arundel said the care support was then withdrawn but has since been re-instated at the hospital at three hours a day which her family add to with an extra four hours a day and daily visits.

Mr Arundel said: “I have a letter from an occupational therapist and the hospital to say Janice is safe to go home.

“The council say she is not fit to go home and instead want her to go into a residential facility. I’m not prepared to allow that to happen.

“Her needs have probably got slightly worse and she would need the care hours extended from morning till night. I believe there are other similar packages in place in Glasgow. I believe it is a cost issue with the council.”

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “Janice requires 24-hour supervision and in our view, her care needs can only be adequately met in a residential care setting.

“The difficulties with her discharge relate solely to the complexities of her specific case. The wider issue of delayed discharge has absolutely no bearing on her situation.”