Flintshire Council warns hospital discharge support won't solve issues
Following an inquiry into patient flow at Welsh hospitals, local authorities across Wales are currently working on bids for a share of the fund to try to get patients out of hospital and back into their homes or community care faster.
But Flintshire's Chief Officer for Social Services Craig Macleod told the authority's Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that the fund was not a silver bullet to cure the NHS of bed-blocking delays.
"We have had formal notification that there will be a recurring grant to support timely hospital discharge from the Welsh Government, " he said. "We are currently working on a plan as to how we will use that funding.
"We recommend that cabinet welcomes the grant as a step towards supporting discharge, however it will not resolve the issues relating to hospital discharge."
One of the criticisms of the Welsh Government approach by Flintshire County Council was its inquiry focused on patient flow rather than patient outcomes.
Deputy leader of Flintshire County Council Cllr Richard Jones said: "When you read the report from the ADSS (Association of the Director of Social Services Cymru) they say: 'We believe the terms of reference of the enquiry reflect an overly narrow perspective on the issue - one which prioritises hospital process over the fundamental goal of enabling individuals to live well within the community.
"We believe there should be a greater emphasis on patient outcomes rather than just patient flow. That is the same approach we have towards care as an authority."
Cabinet supported the work to capitalise on the additional funding and the review of the state of discharge services, which see residents continue to face significant challenges at all three general district hospitals serving Flintshire - Ysbyty Gwynedd, Wrexham Maelor and the Countess of Chester.
"Hospital discharge delays should be viewed in terms of causes and context ensuring there is no loss of focus on the individual," said Cllr Christine Jones, Deputy Leader of Flintshire Council and Cabinet Member for Social Services and Wellbeing.
"The reality is being in a hospital bed when there is no clinical need is not only contributing to the complex pressures within the NHS but it is also not in the best interests of the patient.
"The regional partnership board will now take a lead role in producing a North Wales update to the original Audit Wales recommendations around hospital discharge. Flintshire will feed into that report in an effort to deliver improvements to discharge processes for all."
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