NHS Wales: Discharge delays see thousands stuck in hospitals

Plaid Cymru called for carers to be paid more to improve recruitment in order to ensure more care was available in the community.

Mabon ap Gwynford, the party’s health and care spokesperson, said the number of delayed transfers of care was “completely unsustainable”, saying the Welsh government’s priorities were wrong.

The Welsh Conservatives also accused the Welsh government of having “the wrong priorities”.

Sam Rowlands, shadow Welsh health minister, criticised the decision to spend money on increasing the number of Senedd members “when we could be investing in more doctors and nurses”, which he said would “save many millions” in the long run.

The Welsh government said it was committed to improving the process for people leaving hospital and understood the impact on patients and their families.

“Community services are being increased so people can live and age well at home, avoid unnecessary admission to hospital and return home quickly where hospital care was necessary,” a spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the Welsh government was providing £146m a year “to help health and care organisations work better together”, and said its national Care Action Committee was working to identify what can be done “to support the discharge process, particularly in the lead up to winter”.