There is already some evidence of how delayed transfer of care can be reduced, and cost savings achieved to fund other aspects of healthcare, where relevant budgets are combined, as in Greater Manchester.
This often proves to be a false economy when other costs are factored in such as additional community nursing needs, respite care provision and all the costs that follow from delayed transfer of care.
She added: "The findings from the Wales Audit Office report will feed into the ongoing work that is being carried out by the All-Wales Independent Review into
Delayed Transfer of Care that was commissioned by the National Assembly last year."
Her call comes after figures released yesterday showed the number of patients experiencing a
delayed transfer of care increased by 6.8% Bed blocking occurs when a patient is waiting to be moved to different part of the NHS but is forced to wait due to the lack of beds being available for them to be transferred.
Every one of the published
delayed transfer of care statistics is a person with unique needs, a concerned family and the right to choose their future.
'We are putting a further pounds 19.5m each year until 2007 to help increase the capacity for people to be cared for at home and in the community.' What's causing the delays?: Bed blocking is officially known as
delayed transfer of care.
The rate of
delayed transfer of care (bed blocking) for people over 75 for social care reasons;
Health Minister Jane Hutt, who has invested pounds 4m into tackling the problem, said if Wales calculated its
delayed transfer of care figures in the same way as England, there would only be about 150 people experiencing such delays.
Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust said that one of the many benefits this post will bring is a reduction of instances of bed blocking, otherwise known as
delayed transfer of care.
Bed blocking - officially called
delayed transfer of care - occurs when elderly and infirm people have to stay in hospital because they cannot be cared for in the commun i t y.
An Assembly spokeswoman said, ``We have already made available an extra pounds 17m over two years to help strengthen the care home sector, reduce
delayed transfer of care and avoidable hospital admissions.
``The main factor is lack of beds because of emergency admissions coupled with
delayed transfer of care of patients.''