Delayed Discharge Data – Public Health Scotland (DDD)

Measures describe a question asked to a participant during a survey or an item of information requested from a manager when they fill out a data return. For example, ‘Who do you live with?’ is a measure and the possible responses might be, mother, father, brother, sister etc.

Question/Data item wording	Response scale wording	Need OR provision OR receipt	Description of measure	Start Year	Age of interest	Age to	Informant	Multiple rater	Reporting term	Sweep title	Standard instrument	Dataset
Delays for code 9 – other reasons – Average (median) length of delay at census point	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	Delays for code 9 - other reasons - average length of delay at census point	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for code 9 – other reasons – Number of delays at census point	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	Delays for code 9 - other reasons - no. delays at census point	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for code 9 – other reasons – Proportion of all bed days attributed to code 9 other delay reasons	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	Delays for code 9 - other reasons - proportion all bed days - other delay reasons	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for code 9 – other reasons – Average daily number of delayed bed days occupied	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	Delays for code 9 - other reasons - average daily no. delayed bed days occupied	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for code 9 – other reasons – Number of delayed bed days occupied	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	Delays for code 9 - other reasons - no. delayed bed days occupied	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for code 9 – AWI reasons – Average (median) length of stay prior to delay at census point	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	Delays for code 9 - AWI reasons - average length of stay prior delay, census point	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for code 9 – AWI reasons – Average (median) length of delay at census point	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	Delays for code 9 - AWI reasons - average length of delay at census point	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for code 9 – AWI reasons – Number of delays at census point	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	Delays for code 9 - AWI reasons - no. delays at census point	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for standard reasons (health & social care or patient & family related) – Number of delayed bed days occupied	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	Standard reasons - no. delayed bed days occupied	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for all reasons – Average (median) length of stay prior to delay at census point	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	All reasons - average length stay prior to delay census point	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for standard reasons (health & social care or patient & family related) – Average daily number of delayed bed days occupied	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	Standard reasons - average daily no. delayed bed days occupied	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for standard reasons (health & social care or patient & family related) – Proportion of all bed days attributed to standard delay reasons	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	Standard reasons - proportion all bed days attributed standard delay reasons	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for standard reasons (health & social care or patient & family related) – Number of delays at census point	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	Standard reasons - no. delays at census point	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for standard reasons (health & social care or patient & family related) – Average (median) length of delay at census point	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	Standard reasons - average length delay at census point	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for standard reasons (health & social care or patient & family related) – Average (median) length of stay prior to delay at census point	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	Standard reasons - average length stay prior delay, census point	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for code 9 – AWI reasons – Number of delayed bed days occupied	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	Delays for code 9 - AWI reasons - no. delayed bed days occupied	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for code 9 – AWI reasons – Average daily number of delayed bed days occupied	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	Delays for code 9 - AWI reasons - average daily no. delayed bed days occupied	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Proportion of all bed days attributed to code 9 AWI delay reasons	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	Delays for code 9 - AWI reasons - proportion bed days attributed to code 9	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for all reasons – Average (median) length of delay at census point	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	All reasons - average length delay census point	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for all reasons – Number of discharges home following period of delay	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	All reasons - no. discharges following period of delay	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for all reasons – Proportion of discharges home following period of delay	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	All reasons - proportion discharges home following period of delay	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for all reasons – Average (median) length of delay at point of discharge	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	All reasons - average length of delay at point of discharge	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for all reasons – Average (median) length of stay prior to delay	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	All reasons - average length stay prior to delay	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for all reasons – Number of discharges to placement following period of delay	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	All reasons - no. discharges to placement following period of delay	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for all reasons – Proportion of discharges to placement following period of delay	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	All reasons - proportion discharges to placement following period of delay	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for all reasons – Average (median) length of delay at point of discharge	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	All reasons - average length delay at point of discharge	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for all reasons – Average (median) length of stay prior to delay	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	All reasons - average length stay prior to delay	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for all reasons – Number of delays at census point	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	All reasons - no. delays census point	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for code 9 – other reasons – Average (median) length of stay prior to delay at census point	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	Delays for code 9 - other reasons - average length stay prior delay - census point	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for all reasons – Average (median) length of stay prior to delay	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	All reasons - average length stay prior to delay	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for all reasons – Average (median) length of delay at point of discharge	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	All reasons - average length delay point of discharge	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for all reasons – Proportion of hospital discharges following period of delay	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	All reasons - proportion discharges following delay	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for all reasons – Number of hospital discharges following period of delay	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	All reasons - no. discharges following delay	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for all reasons – Number of discharges from hospital including delayed discharges	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	All reasons - no. discharges from hosp inc. delayed discharge	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for all reasons – Average daily number of delayed bed days occupied	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2017 to present	Need;	All reasons - average no. delayed bed days occupied	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD
Delays for all reasons – Number of delayed bed days occupied	Figures given for each month, April-March, from 2016 to present. Figures can also be broken down into NHS Boards Scotland – combined NHS Ayrshire & Arran NHS Borders NHS Dumfries & Galloway NHS Fife NHS Forth Valley NHS Grampian NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde NHS Highland NHS Lanarkshire NHS Lothian NHS Orkney NHS Shetland NHS Tayside NHS Western Isles Figures can also be broken down into: Scotland Aberdeen City Aberdeenshire Angus Argyll & Bute City of Edinburgh Clackmannanshire Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Dumfries & Galloway Dundee City East Ayrshire East Dunbartonshire East Lothian East Renfrewshire Falkirk Fife Glasgow City Highland Inverclyde Midlothian Moray North Ayrshire North Lanarkshire Orkney Perth & Kinross Renfrewshire Scottish Borders Shetland South Ayrshire South Lanarkshire Stirling West Dunbartonshire West Lothian	Need;	All reasons - no. delayed bed days occupied	2016	0-120	120	Data manager	No	Past month	Delayed discharges summary tables	No	DDD

Scotland

Aims

To monitor the timeliness and safety of hospital discharge in NHS Scotland by reporting, each month, on adults who are clinically ready to leave hospital but remain because the required care, support, accommodation or funding is not yet in place. The dataset provides counts of people delayed at a monthly census point, associated bed days within each month, and discharges following delay.

Institution

Public Health Scotland (PHS)

Geographic coverage - Nations

Scotland;

Start date

2016

Minimum age at recruitment

Sample Size

2,009

Sample

Study design

Administrative dataset

Sample details

The dataset covers all adult inpatients in NHS Scotland hospitals who have been assessed by the clinical team as ready for discharge but who remain in hospital for one day or more because the necessary community support, social care, accommodation, or funding is not yet available. Each monthly release reports (a) the census count of people delayed on the last Thursday of the month, (b) bed days occupied by delayed discharges during the month, and (c) discharges following delay. Delays are categorised into standard reasons (health & social care; patient/family‑related) and complex ‘Code 9’ reasons (e.g., Adults with Incapacity), with figures available for Scotland, territorial NHS boards and local authorities. Data are submitted by NHS boards to PHS using harmonised definitions and national reporting requirements introduced in July 2016, ensuring comparability over time.

Sex

All

Sample Characteristics

Adults who are clinically ready for discharge but remain in hospital for one day or more

Sample size at most recent sweep

At the November 2025 monthly census, 2,009 people were delayed.

Individual data available (e.g. upon special request)?

No

Data Access Level

Fully open source

Data Access

https://www.opendata.nhs.scot/dataset/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland

Regional variable present?

Yes

Local Authority variable present?

Yes

Complementary Data

Linked administrative health data

Genetic Data Collected

Linked Data

HDR UK Innovation Gateway

Website

https://publichealthscotland.scot/resources-and-tools/health-intelligence-and-data-management/national-data-catalogue/national-datasets/search-the-datasets/delayed-discharges

Notes

Related Measures

Study Code

DDD

Reference paper(s)

Audit Scotland (Jan 2026), Delayed discharges: A symptom of the challenges facing health and social care. National performance audit drawing on PHS delayed discharge statistics (e.g., 720,119 delayed‑discharge bed days in 2024/25; ~1 in 9 beds occupied). Useful as a methods/example of using the PHS series in policy research.

https://audit.scot/uploads/2026-01/nr_260108_delayed_discharges.pdf

Catalogue of Social Care Data

UNITING SOCIAL CARE DATA