The Welsh NHS has seen a "demoralising" decline in the number of available beds, it has been revealed. Official statistics released by the Welsh Government show that the health service had 10,275.6 average daily beds available in 2021/22- a drop from 10,340.4 the previous year.
A decade ago in 2011/12 the number of available beds was more than 1,500 higher (11,809.7), and since 1999/00 the figure has been cut by 30%, down from 14,723. The Welsh Government said the year-on-year fall in beds can be attributed to advancements in medical science, meaning fewer people need overnight stays, and more care being provided in the community.
Meanwhile the average daily number of occupied beds in 2021-22 was 8,342, an increase of 1,171.7 (16.3%) compared to the previous year. The percentage occupancy of NHS beds in last year was 81.2% - 11.8 percentage points more than 2020-21.
