Over half of Powys patients ready for discharge but unable to leave

New figures obtained by Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds show that more than half of patients in Powys community hospitals are ready to go home but cannot be discharged because the care or support they need is not available.

Data from Powys Teaching Health Board confirms that on November 16, there were 136 patients in Powys community hospital beds. Of these, 29 were fully ready for discharge and a further 40 had been clinically optimised but remained in hospital while waiting for assessments. This means that 51% of patients could leave hospital if the right care, support or follow up services were in place.

“These figures highlight a system under real strain,” said Ms Dodds MS.

“When more than half of patients who are ready to go home remain stuck in a hospital bed, the impact is felt across the NHS. It means fewer available beds, more delays and more pressure on already stretched staff.

“This is not sustainable for patients or for the health service. Unless the Welsh Government acts to stabilise social care, hospitals will continue to carry the burden. Patients want to recover at home, yet too many are left waiting because support simply is not there.”

Cllr Glyn Preston, Liberal Democrat candidate for Gwynedd Maldwyn in next year’s Senedd election, added: “Patients in mid-Wales are ready to return home but cannot because local care services do not have the capacity. This has been allowed to drift for far too long, and the Labour Government has shown little urgency in getting to grips with the social care workforce crisis or in supporting rural councils that are struggling to keep services going.

“Families are left in limbo while hospitals carry the pressure, and communities like ours are paying the price for Labour’s failure to act.”

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are calling for a Social Care Rescue Package to sit at the heart of next year’s Welsh Budget. The party says this must include fair pay for care workers to tackle chronic recruitment issues, stable funding for councils and investment in community-based care that helps people live independently.

They say that without this, pressures across hospitals, emergency care and local services will continue to grow and discharge delays will worsen.