6. Debate on the Health and Social Care Committee Report: Hospital discharge and its impact on patient flow through hospitals

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:36 pm on 12 October 2022.

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Photo of Jenny Rathbone Jenny Rathbone Labour 4:36, 12 October 2022

Thank you for pointing that out, because that was something that was picked up by Audit Wales as well, in their report. They said that less than half were recording whether the discharge was complex or simple, and less than a third of hospitals were recording when the patient was actually fit for discharge, as opposed to when they actually got out.

I'm glad to say that, today, at the Queen's Nursing Institute annual conference, the Betsi Cadwaladr nurses are presenting the work that they're doing up in Betsi Cadwaladr on how the visibility of their community services data is transforming care delivery. So, well done to the Betsi Cadwaladr team. And tomorrow, Paul Labourne, who I pay a lot of attention to because he's our integration and innovation nursing officer for primary and community care in the Welsh Government, is speaking. It's really important that we understand that the way in which we're rolling out these electronic case load systems is also being used to test whether we can capture the levels of care for every single patient visited on this system. This apparently has never been undertaken before, and so this could seriously improve our genuine understanding of what people need in the community. So, well done, Minister. 

What is also good news is that up to three local authorities that have now started using the same system with their domiciliary care services are reducing duplication, enabling better joined-up visits with neighbourhood district nursing—hooray—