INVERCLYDE health and social care bosses say they are committed to reducing the number of patients in hospital waiting to be discharged.

Inverclyde Council's Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) chief officer Kate Rocks says that although the local authority faces a challenging winter season, the team have reduced delayed discharges.

The average wait is seven days, with almost half of cases in which an individual is unable to go home relating to adults with incapacities.

Municipal Buildings bosses say a new assessment system is being introduced to speed up discharges.

Last year the Inverclyde HSCP introduced a scheme offering payments to families to help get loved ones out of hospital in instances where care packages were not ready.