Delayed hospital discharges: total pathway of care delays and total days delayed, April 2023 onwards
Contents
| Data values | Data description | Local health board | local authority of residence | Reason for delay | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Pharmacy | May 2024 |
| 2 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Pharmacy | June 2024 |
| 2 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Pharmacy | July 2024 |
| 2 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Pharmacy | August 2024 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Pharmacy | September 2024 |
| 4 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Pharmacy | November 2024 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Pharmacy | December 2024 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Pharmacy | January 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Pharmacy | February 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Pharmacy | March 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Pharmacy | August 2025 |
| 10 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Psychiatry | April 2024 |
| 4 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Psychiatry | May 2024 |
| 9 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Psychiatry | June 2024 |
| 11 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Psychiatry | July 2024 |
| 9 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Psychiatry | August 2024 |
| 7 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Psychiatry | September 2024 |
| 9 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Psychiatry | October 2024 |
| 9 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Psychiatry | November 2024 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Psychiatry | December 2024 |
| 8 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Psychiatry | January 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Psychiatry | February 2025 |
| 5 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Psychiatry | March 2025 |
| 7 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Psychiatry | April 2025 |
| 8 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Psychiatry | May 2025 |
| 6 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Psychiatry | June 2025 |
| 4 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Psychiatry | July 2025 |
| 9 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Psychiatry | August 2025 |
| 43 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of best interest decision | April 2025 |
| 62 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of best interest decision | May 2025 |
| 62 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of best interest decision | June 2025 |
| 63 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of best interest decision | July 2025 |
| 60 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of best interest decision | August 2025 |
| 18 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Mental Capacity Delays | April 2025 |
| 29 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Mental Capacity Delays | May 2025 |
| 27 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Mental Capacity Delays | June 2025 |
| 28 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Mental Capacity Delays | July 2025 |
| 27 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Mental Capacity Delays | August 2025 |
| 5 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting jointly funded community care package | April 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting jointly funded community care package | May 2025 |
| 2 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting jointly funded community care package | June 2025 |
| 2 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting palliative care community care package (CHC FASTRACK) | April 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting palliative care community care package (CHC FASTRACK) | May 2025 |
| 7 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting palliative care community care package (CHC FASTRACK) | June 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting palliative care community care package (CHC FASTRACK) | July 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting palliative care community care package (CHC FASTRACK) | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting step down temp placement to a care home | April 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting step down temp placement to a care home | May 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting step down temp placement to a care home | June 2025 |
| 2 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting step down temp placement to a care home | July 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting step down temp placement to a care home | August 2025 |
| 6 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Preparing for Court of Protection Pre application | April 2025 |
| 8 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Preparing for Court of Protection Pre application | May 2025 |
| 10 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Preparing for Court of Protection Pre application | June 2025 |
| 7 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Preparing for Court of Protection Pre application | July 2025 |
| 16 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Preparing for Court of Protection Pre application | August 2025 |
| 5 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Patient family not engaging with the pathway of care discharge process | April 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Patient family not engaging with the pathway of care discharge process | May 2025 |
| 2 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Patient family not engaging with the pathway of care discharge process | June 2025 |
| 2 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Patient family not engaging with the pathway of care discharge process | July 2025 |
| 6 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Patient family not engaging with the pathway of care discharge process | August 2025 |
| 5 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting Mental Health Placement | April 2025 |
| 9 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting Mental Health Placement | May 2025 |
| 9 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting Mental Health Placement | June 2025 |
| 9 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting Mental Health Placement | July 2025 |
| 7 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting Mental Health Placement | August 2025 |
| 24 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Residential Home | April 2025 |
| 35 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Residential Home | May 2025 |
| 30 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Residential Home | June 2025 |
| 24 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Residential Home | July 2025 |
| 31 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Residential Home | August 2025 |
| 27 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Nursing Home | April 2025 |
| 18 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Nursing Home | May 2025 |
| 23 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Nursing Home | June 2025 |
| 14 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Nursing Home | July 2025 |
| 29 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Nursing Home | August 2025 |
| 24 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Dementia residential home | April 2025 |
| 17 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Dementia residential home | May 2025 |
| 17 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Dementia residential home | June 2025 |
| 12 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Dementia residential home | July 2025 |
| 8 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Dementia residential home | August 2025 |
| 5 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Dementia nursinig home | April 2025 |
| 12 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Dementia nursinig home | May 2025 |
| 21 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Dementia nursinig home | June 2025 |
| 15 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Dementia nursinig home | July 2025 |
| 20 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Dementia nursinig home | August 2025 |
| 5 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying specialist bed | April 2025 |
| 4 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying specialist bed | May 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying specialist bed | June 2025 |
| 5 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying specialist bed | July 2025 |
| 5 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying specialist bed | August 2025 |
| 10 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting palliative care home Care Package (Fast track to Care Home) | April 2025 |
| 9 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting palliative care home Care Package (Fast track to Care Home) | May 2025 |
| 6 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting palliative care home Care Package (Fast track to Care Home) | June 2025 |
| 9 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting palliative care home Care Package (Fast track to Care Home) | July 2025 |
| 4 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting palliative care home Care Package (Fast track to Care Home) | August 2025 |
| 4 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting Learning Disability placement/accomodation | April 2025 |
| 5 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting Learning Disability placement/accomodation | May 2025 |
| 5 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting Learning Disability placement/accomodation | June 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting Learning Disability placement/accomodation | July 2025 |
Main information
- Most recent update
- 26 September 2025
- Next update expected
- 23 October 2025
- Designation
- Official statistics
- Data provider
- NHS Delivery Unit
- Data source
- Pathways of Care Delays
Data notes
Overview
- Summary of dataset and variables
The Pathway of Care Delays data identifies patients with a discharge delay, and the reason for the delay, at a given point each month.
A delayed discharge occurs when a patient who is clinically ready for discharge cannot leave hospital because the necessary ongoing care and support or suitable accommodation for them is not yet accessible.
The data represent the number of adults occupying an NHS hospital bed, who were 'clinically optimised' ready to return home or move on to the next stage of care, that experienced a delay in their transfer of more than 48 hours beyond the point they were clinically optimised. 'Next stage of care' refers to all destinations outside of NHS hospitals. Data for local health board provider, relates to the local health board where the service was being provided and where the delay was experienced. This will include data from patients who reside from areas outside of the local health boards usual coverage. E.g. a service could be provided in the Cardiff and Vale health board, but the patient may reside in Bridgend (which is usually covered by Cwm Taf Morgannwg).
- Data collection or calculation
Data are provided by Local Health Boards and validated jointly with Local Authority partners.
The Pathway of Care Delays is a snapshot census that identifies people with a discharge delay and reason at a given point each month. Health Boards are required to extract the data from local systems on a census day in each month, and validate the delays with Local Authority partners. Subsequently, data records are entered via a web-based tool and submitted to NHS Wales.
- Statistical quality
Data are provided by Local Health Boards and validated jointly with Local Authority partners.
The Pathway of Care Delays is a snapshot census that identifies people with a discharge delay and reason at a given point each month. Health Boards are required to extract the data from local systems on a census day in each month, and validate the delays with Local Authority partners. Subsequently, data records are entered via a web-based tool and submitted to NHS Wales.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Welsh Government suspended delayed transfers of care (DTOC) reporting requirements, along with many other datasets. The Welsh Government introduced the COVID-19 Discharge Requirements, which included an updated discharge process with increased focus on rehabilitation and reablement to improve patient flow and support better outcomes. From July 2020, delayed discharge data were collected as management information on a weekly basis. These data were not formally validated. Subsequently a formal replacement, Pathways of Care Delays (POCD) has been developed and tested to replace DTOC. This system has now been rolled out across all Local Health Boards & Local Authorities and the first fully validated and quality assured data are available from april 2023. Welsh Government discharge guidance (COVID-19 Discharge Requirements) sets out the default approach to hospital discharges – the Discharge to Recover then Assess (D2RA) pathways (or 'recovery pathways').
The D2RA approach is based on evidence of better outcomes for people who transfer as soon as possible to their usual residence or other suitable care setting for rehabilitation or reablement prior to assessments for longer term care. A D2RA pathway (or recovery pathway) could be in a person’s own home, in a community hospital or in an alternative step-down setting.
Published by
- Organisation
- Welsh Government
- Contact email
- stats.healthinfo@gov.wales