Monday August 19th 2019
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
Vulnerable people living in the east of Midlothian feel far less safe in their homes than those living in the west.
A report by Midlothian Health and Social Care Partnership on the experiences of people receiving care and support packages at home found a significant difference depending on where they lived.
It revealed that those living in the east of Midlothian, which includes the largest areas of deprivation, felt substantially less secure than those in the west.
The survey revealed that only 76 per cent of people in the east of the county – which includes Dalkeith/Woodburn, Mayfield/Easthouses and Gorebridge – who were receiving support felt safe at home, compared to 86 per cent in the west of the county.
People in the east of Midlothian were also 10 per cent less likely to report a positive experience of care provided by their GP practice and fewer than two-thirds said the support they received helped their quality of life – compared to 80 per cent in the west.
The report, which will be presented to Midlothian Integration Joint Board on Thursday, also revealed performance across the social care network had reported a mixed response.
Hospital admission rates remained below the national level but delayed discharges remained high, with an average of 1, 361 days per 100,000 head of population over the last year, compared to the national rate of 805.
Only one in five people admitted to hospital were discharged within three days, with most delayed by two weeks or more.
However, health officials said that figures in the report which state the number of premature deaths in the county is on the increase are wrong.
The report states that the premature mortality rate rose from 400 per 100,000 residents in 2016 to 425 last year, while nationally the figure fell to 389 deaths per 100,000 population.
A spokesperson for the partnership said that the report should say that Midlothian’s rate had fallen to 389 deaths per 100,000, while the national level rose to 425.
The revised report will be discussed at the board meeting on Thursday in Dalkeith.
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