The Welsh Government has launched a 50-day challenge to help more people safely return home from hospital and to ease winter pressures on our health and care system. 

Health boards and local authorities will work together to use a 10-point action plan to support more people who have experienced long delays in hospital, to return home. 

The challenge is designed to ensure the NHS and local councils work together to share and learn from best practice to improve our system performance and ensure we have the right support available to help people stay well or recover at home, or in the community.

All health boards and local authorities have accepted the 50-day Integrated Care Winter Challenge set by Ministers, which will run to the end of the year.

The challenge will also specifically target the people who have been waiting the longest to leave hospital.

The NHS in Wales – like the NHS in other parts of the UK – is experiencing persistently high levels of pathways of care delays (delayed discharges) which negatively impact on people’s long-term health and the “flow” through the wider health and care system.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Jeremy Miles said: “There is no place like home for people to recover from an illness or injury once they are ready to leave hospital. Equally there are a wide range of support services available in our communities that can help prevent people needing to go to hospital in the first place, helping them to stay well at home.

The 10-point action plan of best practice interventions includes steps to remove the blockages in the health and care system so people can be discharged home promptly.

This includes improving hospital discharge procedures; planning for discharge from the point of admission; ensuring there is proportionate and effective seven-day working to enable weekend discharges; undertaking more assessments in the community and providing community rehabilitation and reablement to help people recover fully.

Community health and social care services have a pivotal role to play in supporting people to remain well in the community. They assess what help people need, including access to rehabilitation, home adaptations or personal care in the community.

The 50-Day challenge is a key element of the Welsh Government’s winter resilience plans. The £146m Regional Integration Fund, the £11.95m Further Faster funds, and the £5m allied health professional funding are helping to build community capacity in the system.