Delayed Transfers of Care, December 2011

Statistics on Delayed Transfers of Care include data for Wales on the census date 21 December 2011. The latest release updates the statistics previously released on 20 December 2011.

The key points from the latest release are:

• The total number of patients experiencing a delayed transfer of care on the census date of 21 December 2011 was 410; this is a decrease of 75, or 15 per cent, on the figure for 16 November 2011. The longer term trend is a steady, but fluctuating, decline over the last seven years from a level of over 1,000 in March 2004 to the present low of 410 in December 2011.
• The total number of patients waiting to leave hospital was 345.  Of these, 104 were delayed in mental health facilities and 241 were in other acute and community hospitals. A further 40 patients were experiencing a delayed transfer within the NHS or waiting for an assessment and for 25 the next stage could not be determined.
• Delays for community care reasons accounted for 74 (26 per cent) of the 286 patients in acute and community hospitals compared with 77 (27 per cent) for healthcare reasons, 53 (19 per cent) waiting for availability of care home and 82 (29 per cent) for other reasons, including legal/financial, disagreement, and selection of care home.
• The number of delays in acute and community hospitals as a percentage of the average number of available beds ranged from 2.2 per cent to 14.5 per cent.
• The rate per 10,000 population aged 75 or over of delayed transfers for patients of all ages in acute and community hospitals in each of the 22 unitary authority areas ranged from 4.3 per 10,000 to 24.0 per 10,000.

Further information

StatsWales website.

Contact

Tel: 029 2082 3134
E-mail: stats.healthinfo@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Next update

21 February 2012