Delayed transfers of care

Commenting on reports that healthcare academic Professor Marcus Longley has called for action to reduce the number of patients who are hospital who don't need to be in hospital, Age Cymru's Director of Influencing and Programme Development Victoria Lloyd says:

"Age Cymru agrees with Professor Longley that tackling so-called ‘delayed transfers of care' - where people are kept in hospital for longer than they should be, needs to be a priority for the NHS.

"Hospital is often not the best environment for older people who are the recuperation stage of their treatment and no longer need intensive medical support.

"People who are kept in hospital for longer than they should be can get depressed; feel they don't have control over their lives and that they are a burden and even forget how to look after themselves, when they should be able to look forward to leaving hospital and regaining their health.

"There are several systemic reasons why some older people are currently forced to stay in hospital once they could be discharged.

"These include a lack of appropriate facilities for reablement and recuperation in many communities in Wales, delays in arranging services to support people in their own home, and the barriers that exist between health and social services.

"Addressing these issues must be a major priority for the Welsh Government in developing and implementing new legislation to improve social services in Wales."