Welsh Government pledges £30m to boost community care

In a move aimed at reducing pressure on hospitals, the Welsh Government has announced a £30m investment in community care.

The initiative is aimed at strengthening local care services, delivering more care at home or within the community, and reducing the time individuals spend in hospitals.

Health and Social Services Minister Eluned Morgan, together with Deputy Minister for Social Services Julie Morgan, outlined their collaborative strategy with local government, NHS, and other partners to bolster local care services.

This strategy is designed to ease pressure on the health and care system, particularly during peak periods such as the winter season.

The investment builds upon the 670 additional community beds introduced this past winter.

With a focus on enabling independent living, increasing technology usage, and redistributing staff and resources, the initiative will ensure individuals living with frailty receive the support needed to live comfortably at home.

Eluned Morgan highlighted the expected population growth, with an estimated increase of nearly 150,000 people aged 75 or older in Wales in less than 20 years, and a projected increase of 61.3% in the Welsh population aged 85 and over.

She emphasised the need for transformation in the way care is provided to cater to this demographic shift.

In her statement, Morgan also stressed the importance of addressing delayed transfers of care, noting that without improving the flow through hospitals, almost all other aspects of health care, including waiting lists, could be impacted.

The investment will fund additional reablement services, recruit more community workers, ensure the presence of a Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Responder Service in every local authority by winter 2024, move towards 24/7 community nursing, and strengthen community specialist palliative care.

Councils and local authorities are already expressing their support for the initiative. Councillor Andrew Morgan, WLGA Leader, acknowledged the significant role that social services can play in caring for people within their communities and praised the collaborative work done with partners in health and the Welsh Government.

With the significant challenges posed by the current strain on the health and social care system, this new initiative by the Welsh Government marks a crucial step in improving healthcare in Wales.