AN 81-year-old man who has spent the last 65 years as a patient in the Royal Scottish National Hospital in Larbert is to be discharged.

His relatives are calling for him to be allowed to remain in hospital. They claim that the Government's policy of care in the community should not be applied to someone in his situation.

A place in a social work home has been earmarked for the man, who was first admitted to the institution during the Great Depression.

He was then a 16-year-old with learning difficulties and mood swings. He cannot read, write, or tell the time and yet he faces the prospect of his life being disrupted by the move.

He would also be separated from another patient, a best friend who is so close to him that relatives refer to her as ``auntie''.

The case has been raised by Mr Martin O'Neill, the Labour MP for Clackmannan, who represents relatives of the man. He has written to the chief executive of the Central Scotland Health Care Trust, questioning whether the man is suitable for care in the community.

Mr O'Neill said the man's niece had understood that, despite the policy change, those who had been residents since before 1979 would be allowed to live out their days in the place which they were accustomed to think of as their home.

The patient is said to have agreed to the move but his relatives are doubtful about his ability to make a rational decision in the circumstances. It is understood that the man agreed because he wrongly believed he would be going to stay with his niece.

His close friend in the institution has speech difficulties and, according to Mr O'Neill, would be even less suited to the proposed social work home.

He said: ``Are they to be separated or are they to be forced into an environment which, however caring (as it undoubtedly is) is just not suited to their needs?''

The case will be cited today at the Scottish Labour Conference by Mr Jim Devine, senior regional official of Unison, as an example of the way in which the care in the community programme is deeply flawed.

``We are going to highlight the deficiencies in the present system,'' Mr Devine said.

``Labour believes the guiding philosophy should be to put life into years and not just years into lives.''

A spokesman for the hospital said last night that he could not comment on individual cases. However, each individal received assessment on his or her needs and, based on that, a judgment was made on whether the patient required social or health care, he said.

The social work department was the lead agency in developing the strategy, he added.