People’s Lives On Hold – Delays in Mental Health Discharges Highlight the Urgent Need for properly Structured and Funded Community and Assisted Living Programmes.
Significant concerns have been highlighted in the Mental Health Board Report 2025 affecting the provision of continuity of care post-discharge for mental health patients including the insufficient provision of assisted living. Similar issues have been raised by the GSD in Parliament repeatedly. At the heart of this is a failure by the Government to set out a coherent, comprehensive policy and then carry it out. For example, the big announcements made by the Minister for Health and Care, Mrs Arias Vasquez, on contracting out care services (Lifecome) or establishing a new community health hub have ended in U-turns in both cases and failure.
This pattern of changing positions, from the original proposal announced by Minister Arias Vasquez with great enthusiasm that the Hub would be set up at the Old Gibraltar Chronicle
Building, only for that proposal to be unceremoniously abandoned in favour of Joshua Hassan House, and then the ill-considered plan to relocate the acute ward without first putting in place a proper assisted living programme, shows a clear lack of joined-up strategy.
You cannot build a modern mental health system or a new model of care without getting the basics right. That means properly funded supported and assisted living, step-down support, and clear pathways out of hospital.
Atrish Sanchez, Shadow Minister for Care said: “This is about people and their everyday lives, people who are ready to move forward with their lives and are being held back by gaps in the system. We need a clear, funded and robust plan for assisted living and community support, not more delays and vague promises or failed policy.”
The GSD remains concerned about continued delays in discharging patients from Ocean Views who are clinically ready to leave but remain in hospital due to gaps in community support. The report makes clear that these delays are being driven by the lack of ERS placements, suitable packages of care and, crucially, appropriate housing and supported living options.
Atrish Sanchez, Shadow Minister for Care, emphasised, “When someone is clinically ready to leave hospital, they should be supported to move forward with their life, not left waiting for months or even years because the system around them is not in place. What people need is properly structured and funded community living programmes, so that they can live in the community with the tailored support they require, safely and with dignity. These structures must exist so that people do not face these kinds of unacceptable delays.”
Figures revealed in Parliament in response to Opposition questions highlight the seriousness of the situation. Atrish Sanchez added, “In February 2026, I asked for the number of patients who were clinically discharge-ready but were facing delays for several reasons. The figures revealed that four individuals awaiting housing had been discharge-ready for 265, 452, 480 and 165 days respectively. Three individuals awaiting alternative placements had been discharge-ready for 205, 205 and 558 days respectively. One individual awaiting a package of care had been dischargeready for 572 days. These are not short delays. These are people whose lives are effectively on hold, despite being ready to leave hospital..”
The Mental Health Board report reflects the same pressures within Ocean Views itself. In Dawn Ward, the rehabilitation ward, seven out of ten patients were awaiting ERS support, suitable housing or appropriate care packages. In Horizon Ward, the acute ward intended for short-term stays, seven out of eleven beds were occupied on 18 September 2025, with several patients remaining there for months. The Board also notes that around 70% of beds are occupied by patients who are either inappropriately placed or waiting for suitable care packages and housing arrangements. This is part of the reason why the system is under such strain. When beds are blocked because patients cannot move on, it has a knock-on effect across the whole system, including for those in crisis who need urgent support.
Atrish Sanchez further adds, “This issue has been raised at length by my colleagues and me in Parliament. To give just two recent examples, in May 2025 I asked whether there were plans to extend supported accommodation similar to the model of care at Sandpits House, and whether any locations had been identified. I was told proposals would come as part of a new model of care, but no detail or timeline was provided. In February 2026, I asked again, specifically whether a final decision had been taken on relocating the acute ward and whether the Government was committed to expanding and funding an assisted living programme ahead of any such move. While it was confirmed that the acute ward would no longer be relocated to Joshua Hassan House, there was again no clarity on assisted living provision, beyond being told that ‘options are being considered’.”
The GSD also highlights a particularly concerning case from the Mental Health Board 2025 report involving an individual with learning disabilities who had been ready for discharge for over two years but remained in hospital due to the lack of an appropriate placement. Atrish Sanchez notes, “This is not just a system failure, it is a human one. No one should be left in that position because the right support simply does not exist.”
Finally, the GSD raises concern at findings that some supported flats rely on donations from the public and charities for basic furnishings. While the generosity of our community is something we should all be proud of, these essential services cannot depend on goodwill alone. If we are serious about helping people rebuild their lives, then supported living must be properly resourced, consistently funded, and built around dignity and stability. There must also be properly maintained and regularly reviewed individual care plans, with continuous professional follow-up. Without these structures, people fall through the cracks, and the consequences can be devastating.
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