National Assembly for Wales

Reducing avoidable emergency department attendances this winter by helping more people receive timely care closer to home is a clear priority. I have set health boards, NHS Trusts and regional partners a shared improvement aim to reduce escalation, tackle corridor care, improve patient flow and strengthen integrated community services, particularly for people living with frailty or complex needs.

I expect organisations to act earlier so more people receive proactive assessment, treatment and support in the community without avoidable ambulance conveyance or emergency department attendance. This includes prevention, anticipatory care, rapid community response and timely post-discharge support.

NHS Wales Performance and Improvement and the National Office of Care and Support are working with health boards, NHS Trusts, Regional Partnership Boards and local authorities to test winter readiness and ensure mitigations are in place before pressure is at its highest.

Health boards, local authorities and partners must use existing resources, including targeted programme investment provided at the start of the financial year, to secure sufficient seven-day community capacity for winter 2026-27. This resource must be actively deployed to support front-line services.

That capacity must be visible to the public and available to ambulance services, emergency departments, discharge teams and primary and community care. It should include rapid falls response, urgent community assessment and treatment, reablement, short-term support and coordinated discharge services.

I am clear that funding must translate into staffed, deployable capacity, including during evenings, weekends and periods of peak demand.

Delivery will be monitored through regular national oversight of activity, response times, discharge performance, and outcomes. Where plans are not credible or performance is insufficient, I will expect prompt corrective action.