Action needed to address rise in housing-related hospital discharge delays in Wales, CHC says

Overall, the data for December 2025 showed that there were 1,401 patients with discharge delays across Wales, representing a 4% decrease from the previous month. This suggests that while the picture for discharge delays overall has improved, housing issues continue to put strain on the system.

Furthermore, while the average discharge delay has fallen from 50 to 45 days since April 2023, the average delay for housing-related issues has increased from 63 to 76 days.

In its latest action plan ahead of next week’s Senedd election in Wales, CHC has called on the next government to launch what it described as a “hospital to home mission” to identify ways for the housing, health and care systems to work together to reduce delayed transfer of care.

The group has identified three key actions as part of its plan. It called for the establishment of a shared accountability framework so that hospital, housing and care data and performance indicators are more closely linked.

It also suggested the expanded use of existing housing infrastructure, such as extra-care or independent living schemes, as “step-down” beds for patients with housing issues to access when they leave hospital. This would be part of an expanded “discharge to recover and assess” process, which would also see long-term care assessments carried out in patients’ homes wherever possible.

Finally, CHC called for a more secure funding environment to improve housing infrastructure for those leaving hospital or care settings.

This would include a “multi-year inflationary uplift” for Wales’ Housing Support Grant, as well as a boost for the Physical Adaptations Grant, which helps providers pay for adaptations in people’s homes.

The action plan was one of three that CHC has published ahead of the election in Wales next week. The group has already called for the implementation of a National Development Corporation.

Alongside this, Wales needs a national construction skills strategy if it is to achieve net zero goals, with labour supply projected to be sufficient to meet only 25% of demand in 10 years’ time.