There are concerns that home care users will be further affected

The latest figures from ISD Scotland, which collates statistics from health boards, have put Fife as the worst authority for bed blocking.

Delayed discharges accounted for 11.8% of bed occupations. Labour politicians said new pressures on the social care budget would only make matters worse.

The authority has insisted bed blocking and home care charges are not linked.

Budget stress

Changes to social care provision, including the new charging policy for home care services, were only introduced at the beginning of January.

But Labour politicians said a freeze on the budget last year meant new requests for services were not being processed.

Cllr Mark Hood, Labour's social work spokesman on Fife Council, told the BBC Scotland news website: "There needs to be a stronger link between the NHS budget and the social work budget.

"When any one of the two budgets are put under stress, you see the impact. Ultimately you are putting the people at risk because of things like MRSA."

There is absolutely no connection between the delayed discharge matter and the well publicised concerns about the proposed increased charges for home care Cllr Tim Brett

Across Scotland, the number of delayed discharge patients accounted for 4.7% of the total number of people in hospital between August and October 2007.

Of those who had to wait more than six weeks to be sent home, 60% were waiting for social services arrangements to be put in place.

Council leaders have insisted the reason for the high figure is a combination of an increased older population and more emergency admissions to hospital.

Chair of the Fife Council's social work and health committee, Cllr Tim Brett said: "There is absolutely no connection between the delayed discharge matter and the well publicised concerns about the proposed increased charges for home care for a minority of service users in Fife.

"To suggest otherwise is to cause some of the most vulnerable people in Fife unnecessary alarm and distress.

"We have put an action plan in place to reduce the time taken for people to be discharged from hospital. This action has included the use of NHS Fife funds to move 40 individuals, over and above the current council capacity, into residential care."

The Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Claire Baker said: "It is not credible for Fife Council to try to argue that the social work funding crisis has nothing to do with this. I have received numerous reports of delays to care assessments and care packages due to insufficient resources in Fife Council's social work budget, leaving patients in hospital when they are medically ready to leave.

"At the same time the SNP and Lib Dem Fife Council has cut many services to the most vulnerable people in Fife while hugely increasing the costs of many other essential care services."

A high profile campaign has been launched by people in Fife who use the home care service.