Delayed hospital discharges: total pathway of care delays and total days delayed, April 2023 onwards

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local authority of residence ( of 25 selected25 selectable options)

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Data valuesData descriptionLocal health boardlocal authority of residenceReason for delayDate
95,375count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalApril 2023
87,725count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalMay 2023
85,218count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalJune 2023
80,859count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalJune 2024
79,879count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalAugust 2024
79,328count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalApril 2024
78,845count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalMay 2024
78,345count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalSeptember 2024
76,752count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalMarch 2024
76,450count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalOctober 2024
75,762count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalJuly 2024
75,318count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalNovember 2023
74,323count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalOctober 2023
72,806count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalJuly 2023
72,609count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalSeptember 2023
72,454count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalAugust 2023
71,620count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalFebruary 2024
70,870count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalNovember 2024
70,355count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalJanuary 2024
70,133count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalJanuary 2025
69,888count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalFebruary 2025
69,419count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalDecember 2024
68,505count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalDecember 2023
67,648count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalMarch 2025
63,890count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalApril 2025
62,316count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalMay 2025
61,928count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalJune 2025
59,071count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalAugust 2025
55,972count of days delayedWalesWalesTotalJuly 2025
33,600count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesApril 2023
30,533count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesMay 2023
29,102count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsMay 2024
27,206count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsNovember 2023
27,135count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsOctober 2023
26,675count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsSeptember 2023
26,273count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsJanuary 2024
26,154count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsAugust 2024
25,874count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsJune 2024
25,822count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsDecember 2023
25,256count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsApril 2023
25,233count of days delayedSwansea Bay University Health BoardWalesTotalMay 2023
25,219count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsApril 2024
24,926count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsJune 2023
24,643count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesJune 2023
24,621count of days delayedSwansea Bay University Health BoardWalesTotalJune 2023
24,331count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsSeptember 2024
24,129count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsMay 2023
24,054count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsOctober 2024
23,878count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesMarch 2024
23,798count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsJuly 2023
23,601count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsMarch 2024
23,429count of days delayedSwansea Bay University Health BoardWalesTotalApril 2023
23,058count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsFebruary 2024
22,889count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsJuly 2024
22,661count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsJanuary 2025
22,580count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsNovember 2024
22,172count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesApril 2024
21,890count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsAugust 2023
21,763count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsDecember 2024
21,496count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsMarch 2025
21,393count of days delayedCwm Taf Morgannwg University Health BoardWalesTotalApril 2023
21,278count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsFebruary 2025
21,113count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesFebruary 2024
20,750count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsMay 2025
20,633count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesMay 2024
20,250count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesSeptember 2024
20,141count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesJanuary 2025
19,770count of days delayedSwansea Bay University Health BoardWalesTotalFebruary 2025
19,719count of days delayedCwm Taf Morgannwg University Health BoardWalesTotalSeptember 2024
19,715count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesAugust 2024
19,633count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesJune 2024
19,407count of days delayedCwm Taf Morgannwg University Health BoardWalesTotalJune 2024
19,339count of days delayedSwansea Bay University Health BoardWalesTotalJanuary 2025
19,190count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesAugust 2023
18,991count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsApril 2025
18,956count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsJune 2025
18,821count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesFebruary 2025
18,786count of days delayedCwm Taf Morgannwg University Health BoardWalesTotalAugust 2024
18,693count of days delayedSwansea Bay University Health BoardWalesTotalApril 2024
18,645count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesJuly 2024
18,491count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesJanuary 2024
18,276count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesMarch 2025
18,245count of days delayedSwansea Bay University Health BoardWalesTotalJune 2024
17,909count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesNovember 2023
17,857count of days delayedSwansea Bay University Health BoardWalesTotalJuly 2024
17,807count of days delayedCwm Taf Morgannwg University Health BoardWalesTotalMay 2024
17,753count of days delayedSwansea Bay University Health BoardWalesTotalAugust 2024
17,639count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesJuly 2023
17,586count of days delayedSwansea Bay University Health BoardWalesTotalMay 2024
17,523count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesApril 2025
17,392count of days delayedCwm Taf Morgannwg University Health BoardWalesTotalMarch 2024
17,341count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesOctober 2024
17,317count of days delayedCwm Taf Morgannwg University Health BoardWalesTotalOctober 2024
17,192count of days delayedSwansea Bay University Health BoardWalesTotalNovember 2024
17,173count of days delayedSwansea Bay University Health BoardWalesTotalDecember 2024
17,096count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesAugust 2025
16,924count of days delayedSwansea Bay University Health BoardWalesTotalOctober 2024
16,922count of days delayedWalesWalesAssessment IssuesSeptember 2023
16,750count of days delayedWalesWalesCare Home placement arrangementsAugust 2025
16,721count of days delayedCwm Taf Morgannwg University Health BoardWalesTotalApril 2024
Showing 1 to 100 of 100,416 rows
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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.

Related reports

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Organisation
Welsh Government
Contact email
stats.healthinfo@gov.wales

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