Eight patients have died in the region’s hospitals this year while waiting to be discharged.
And more than 50 people have suffered a similar fate over the last eight years.
The figures were revealed in a series of Freedom of Information requests by the Scottish Conservatives.
They also found more than 3,200 patients across Scotland had died while waiting to be discharged from hospital since 2015 – the year then Holyrood Health Secretary Shona Robison vowed to end bed blocking.
Galloway and West Dumfries Tory MSP, Finlay Carson, said: “The SNP knew the scale of the problem back then but instead of taking concrete action to tackle it, they sat on their hands and allowed more than 3,000 patients to die awaiting discharge.
“This is not only a disturbing situation but a worrying one that it is still being allowed to happen some eight years on.
“The patients were stuck in hospital because vital social-care support was not available to them.
“This is deeply distressing for patients and heart-breaking for their families. The knock-on effects of delayed discharge is being felt right across our NHS, as patients in desperate need of hospital beds simply can’t get them.
“The whole thing is shocking and must be tackled sooner rather than later.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “It is critical that people are cared for in the right setting and that vital hospital beds are there for those who need them.
“That is why we continue to work with health boards health and social care partnerships to reduce delays in people leaving hospital.”
The spokesman added: “Wherever possible, we also want people nearing the end of life to receive appropriate care and support in a setting of their choosing, including a hospital should they wish.”
Figures released by Public Health Scotland earlier this month showed 2,800 bed days were lost in Dumfries and Galloway’s hospitals due to delayed discharge in September 2022.
And NHS Dumfries and Galloway chief executive Jeff Ace admitted that at one point in October, 139 people were still in hospital despite being deemed well enough to leave.
A health board spo
kesman said: “Recent weeks have been exceptionally difficult for hospital and community services across Dumfries and Galloway, with continued high admissions and challenges discharging people home.
“We have a large number of people requiring acute care, meaning they need immediate medical support. This is likely to continue to be the case over an incredibly challenging winter period.
“Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership is committed to a policy of supporting people to live at home as independently as possible for as long as possible, and to providing the right care in the right place at the right time.
“We continue to rely on community support, so thank you for the help so far.”
