PATIENTS in Glasgow are waiting more than six months to leave hospital despite being clinically ready.

New figures from the Scottish Liberal Democrats show some patients in Scotland are waiting more than a year with discharges being delayed for health and social care reasons between 2013 and 2016.

The longest wait was by a patient in Dumfries and Galloway, who was kept in hospital for 508 days in 2013/14.

Delayed discharges of more than a year were also recorded in Fife and Highland health boards, while waits of more than six months were found in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Grampian, Shetland and the Western Isles.

The number of patients waiting for more than three months represents a small minority of those who experienced a delayed discharge during the three-year period.

Delays for health and social care reasons include patients waiting on a care home place, social care support to enable them to live in their own home, and those waiting on a needs assessment to be conducted.

LibDem health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “In November I asked the First Minister about a constituent of mine who had spent 150 nights in hospital due to delayed discharge.  “Nicola Sturgeon described the situation as unacceptable.

“What then are we to make of patients in hospital for up to 500 nights, perhaps because carers can’t be found to visit them at home or there isn’t a care home place available?”

In September 2013, there were an average of 22,979 beds available compared to 21,815 in September 2016.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The latest official figures show a 5.1% reduction in bed days associated with delayed discharge in 2016 compared with 2015 – while the same period in England experienced a 23% increase.

“One unnecessary delay, however, is one too many.

“The draft Budget announced an additional £107million to transfer from the NHS to health and social care partnerships to support sustainability in the care sector.”