Critical care survival rates in Wales are improving, says report

More people in Wales are surviving life-threatening injuries and illnesses as a result of the specialist care they receive, according to a Welsh government report.

The all-Wales annual report on critical care services shows 83% of patients were discharged to another ward over the last year – up from 79% three years ago – and less than 1% of all people discharged from critical care were readmitted within 48 hours.

Almost 10,000 people were treated in critical care over 2014/15 and demand is projected to increase between 4% and 5% each year, mainly because of an ageing population.

Areas requiring improvement include ensuring appropriate discharge from critical care, reducing delayed transfers and boosting medical staffing in critical care units. Between 2010 and 2014, during the period of October to December, there was an increase in the average length of stay from 114 to 130 hours, while 66% of patients faced discharge delays of more than four hours in 2013/14.

The report also finds that 94% of all non-clinical transfers in Wales last year were due to a lack of critical care beds.

To read the report click here