How much did the NHS spend throughout the financial year 2023/24 to manage delayed hospital discharges?
Due to the complexity and variety of costs involved in managing delayed transfers of care, it is very difficult to accurately collect and report all costs; and we do not routinely collect this information from health boards.
We have introduced improved mechanisms to monitor and review patient flow and discharges through the Pathways of Care Delays reporting system, which has been fully operational since April 2023.
The Welsh Government also funds the Health and Social Care Regional Integration Fund. This provides the seven regional partnership boards with £145m a year for five years until March 2027 to develop and provide six models of care, two of which specifically support the reduction in conveyance to hospital and proactive discharge processes.