A new report by Audit Wales has revealed that delayed hospital discharges across the West Glamorgan region cost an estimated £32.5 million, with patients spending thousands of unnecessary days on wards.
The findings, presented to Neath Port Talbot Council’s governance and audit committee, reviewed the effectiveness of hospital discharge arrangements between April 2023 and September 2024. The review covered Swansea Bay University Health Board, Swansea Council, and Neath Port Talbot Council.
According to the watchdog, an average of 232 medically fit patients faced delayed discharges each month, resulting in more than 64,000 lost bed days. Audit Wales stated, “The rate of delayed discharges across the West Glamorgan region is one of the highest in Wales.”
The delays were attributed to several factors, including workforce shortages, rising complexity of patient needs such as dementia and mental health, fragmented discharge processes, and inconsistent record-keeping. Access to long-term care home beds in Neath Port Talbot was also described as “problematic”.
Audit Wales issued seven key recommendations to improve the system, including increasing weekend discharges, providing better staff training and guidance, and enhancing information sharing and record-keeping.
Since the review, officials said the situation has improved, with delayed discharges reduced to an average of 180 per month. A new shared patient information dashboard has also been introduced, giving social workers, healthcare staff, and ward teams real-time access to records.
The report highlighted that the sudden closure of a 90-bed residential care home in Neath Port Talbot in November 2023 had placed additional strain on services.
Councillor Carol Clement-Williams acknowledged ongoing concerns, particularly around weekend discharges, but welcomed the progress made by Neath Port Talbot Council and health partners. She added that the improvements reflected a strong response to the recommendations set out by Audit Wales.
Committee members noted the report, with a further update on progress expected in due course.
