The chief executive of NHS Wales has said Welsh Government guidance for hospitals to discharge patients without care packages in place "is about a balance of risk." Speaking to WalesOnline, Judith Paget addressed the advice given to senior NHS staff in a letter urging them to "return those in hospital to their homes or alternative place of safety as quickly as is possible".
The letter, which was from the chief nursing officer and the deputy chief medical officer to the health boards, offered "advice to support decisions to discharge". It said that the NHS was facing "exceptional pressure", resulting in "long delays in the provision of care, with their attendant risks".
It went on to say that day to day clinical decision making "must adapt" to the pressure, and that hospital capacity must be preserved for those at greatest risk. It continued: "There will be a need for everyone to consider discharge arrangements that may not be perfect, a care package may not yet be in place, and social care assessments may need to happen at home rather than in hospital".
