Welsh health minister Eluned Morgan and WLGA leader Andrew Morgan have announced more than 500 extra step-down beds and community care packages in a bid to free up hospital beds.

Care at home services are to be boosted to enable more people to return home. Meanwhile the Step Down service will support people to return to their communities, when they no longer need treatment in hospital but may need more support and specialist care.

508 beds and community care packages have already be confirmed by health boards or local authorities and more are set to be negotiated. The beds will be funded by the Welsh Government’s Regional Integration Fund and local authorities and health boards’ own resources.

Health Minster Eluned Morgan said: "Our health service is facing unprecedented demand this winter. But we know some people are staying in hospital longer than they need to. This in turn, has a severe knock-on effect for people waiting for operations and creates delays for the ambulance service. We have been working hard with health boards and local authorities for months to make sure we have enough community beds this winter and there is still work going on to secure more beds. I hope to be able to announce more beds soon. Through this new initiative we can not only care for people closer to home but also free up more beds in our hospitals."

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