The number of hospital patients in Powys waiting for social care support before they can return home has fallen by a third, the council has said.

A year ago, 60 patients were held up in community hospitals across the county, as well as in larger district general hospitals in Shrewsbury, Telford, and Hereford, while waiting for social care assessments or home care packages. That figure has now dropped to 38.

The improvement follows the recruitment of additional social workers, occupational therapists, and enablement assessors, funded through a £1.3 million Pathways of Care Transformation Grant from the Welsh Government. The funding has also been used to strengthen discharge coordination between Powys County Council and the multiple health bodies supporting patients.

Cllr Pete Roberts, Powys County Council’s Cabinet Member for a Caring Powys said: “Reducing social care delays at this time of year is a significant achievement and testament to the dedication of our front-line teams and the provision of extra funding by Welsh Government.

“We will continue to build on this progress to ensure patients receive timely, co-ordinated and personalised care and support.”

Over the past year, the council has also focused on strengthening the county’s home care market, increasing assessment capacity, and improving reablement packages to support patients leaving hospital.

Across Wales, the Pathways of Care Transformation Grant has allocated £30 million to county councils to invest in community-based social care this financial year. In Powys, the funding has specifically targeted reducing delays caused by the allocation of social workers, completion of social care assessments, and the start of new or reablement care packages.

More information on working in social care in Powys is available at: https://en.powys.gov.uk/working-for-adult-social-care

More information on working for a care agency is available at: https://en.powys.gov.uk/homecareworker