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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Awaiting RH availability | August 2025 |
| 2 | count of delays | Wales | Gwynedd | Funding issues | August 2025 |
| 5 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying specialist bed | August 2025 |
| 10 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Care Home placement arrangements | August 2025 |
| 2 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Identifying Nursing Home | August 2025 |
| 4 | count of delays | Wales | Gwynedd | Awaiting joint assessment | August 2025 |
| 16 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Preparing for Court of Protection Pre application | August 2025 |
| 20 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Dementia nursinig home | August 2025 |
| 2 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Awaiting Social worker allocation | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Disagreements /Legislation | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Housing Related Issues | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Identifying Residential Home | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Home unsafe and requires attention | August 2025 |
| 2 | count of delays | Wales | Gwynedd | Awaiting completion of assessment Nursing | August 2025 |
| 9 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Psychiatry | August 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting step down temp placement to a care home | August 2025 |
| 7 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting Mental Health Placement | August 2025 |
| 8 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Dementia residential home | August 2025 |
| 18 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Home unsafe and requires attention | August 2025 |
| 9 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Assessment Issues | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Home care related issues | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Awaiting reablement community care package | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Awaiting NH availability | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Awaiting Dementia Nursing availability | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Awaiting completion of best interest decision | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Patient family not engaging with the pathway of care discharge process | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Identifying Dementia residential home | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Identifying Dementia nursinig home | August 2025 |
| 16 | count of delays | Wales | Gwynedd | Assessment Issues | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Gwynedd | Awaiting completion of assessment by social care | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Medical | August 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Pharmacy | August 2025 |
| 104 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting reablement community care package | August 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting palliative care community care package (CHC FASTRACK) | August 2025 |
| 6 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Patient family not engaging with the pathway of care discharge process | August 2025 |
| 22 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting care home manager to visit, assess and provide outcome (residential) | August 2025 |
| 29 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Nursing Home | August 2025 |
| 36 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting care home manager to visit, assess and provide outcome (Nursing) | August 2025 |
| 4 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting palliative care home Care Package (Fast track to Care Home) | August 2025 |
| 2 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting Learning Disability placement/accomodation | August 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting extra care availibility | August 2025 |
| 13 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting supported living availibility | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Awaiting completion of assessment by social care | August 2025 |
| 5 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Awaiting joint assessment | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Awaiting start of new community care package funded by social care | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Step down to recover and assess | August 2025 |
| 73 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Housing Related Issues | August 2025 |
| 43 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of AHP Allied Health Professional Assessment | August 2025 |
| 6 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting joint funding decision | August 2025 |
| 2 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Awaiting Dementia Residential availability | August 2025 |
| 23 | count of delays | Wales | Isle of Anglesey | Total | August 2025 |
| 107 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Step down to recover and assess | August 2025 |
| 11 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Homeless | August 2025 |
| 4 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting provision of medicines management dispensing equipment / support | August 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting social care provision for equipment | August 2025 |
| 18 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Court of Protection Delays - post application | August 2025 |
| 88 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting Social worker allocation | August 2025 |
| 595 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Assessment Issues | August 2025 |
| 4 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Safeguarding issues impacting discharge arrangements | August 2025 |
| 1,367 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Total | August 2025 |
| 2 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Transfer related issues | August 2025 |
| 6 | count of delays | Wales | Gwynedd | Awaiting Social worker allocation | August 2025 |
| 4 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of adaptations essential for discharge. | August 2025 |
| 262 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Care Home placement arrangements | August 2025 |
| 42 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting Continuing Healthcare (CHC) Assessment | August 2025 |
| 132 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting start of new community care package funded by social care | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting community based health team | August 2025 |
| 24 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting healthcare provision for equipment | August 2025 |
| 60 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of best interest decision | August 2025 |
| 27 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Mental Capacity Delays | August 2025 |
| 93 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Disagreements /Legislation | August 2025 |
| 19 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of self-funding arrangements to placement | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Assessment through the language of choice | August 2025 |
| 100 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting joint assessment | August 2025 |
| 31 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Identifying Residential Home | August 2025 |
| 53 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Funding issues | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting hospital arranged transport | August 2025 |
| 28 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting funding decision FNC/CHC | August 2025 |
| 5 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting Dementia Residential availability | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting extra care/supported living availability | August 2025 |
| 25 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting RH availability | August 2025 |
| 13 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Patient / family care home choice | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting community care package self-funding | August 2025 |
| 22 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting NH availability | August 2025 |
| 38 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Home adaptation/equipment issues | August 2025 |
| 143 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment by social care | August 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting provision of telecare equipment | August 2025 |
| 32 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Patient /family disputing and/or delaying to move to any stage of care / next stage of discharge | August 2025 |
| 20 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting Dementia Nursing availability | August 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting specialist bed availability | August 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting assessment/discharge arrangements to existing care home | August 2025 |
| 6 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting restart of previous community care package | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Patient / family disputing and/or delaying to participate in financial assessment | August 2025 |
| 78 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting completion of assessment Nursing | August 2025 |
| 3 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Disputes between agencies | August 2025 |
| 144 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Home care related issues | August 2025 |
| 2 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting CHC community care package | August 2025 |
| 28 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | No suitable abode - requires re housing | August 2025 |
| 19 | count of delays | Wales | Wales | Awaiting funding decision | August 2025 |
| 1 | count of delays | Wales | Gwynedd | Awaiting funding decision | August 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