An urgent call has been put out to families with relatives in hospital to consider bringing them home if they are well enough to be looked after in the community, due to the risk of them catching coronavirus.
Swansea Bay University Health Board has said it would "not just be doing the best thing for their loved one but supporting their local NHS at a time of great need", adding it would be as an interim measure until they could return to their own home, or to an alternative such as a care home.
The health board says with the Omicron variant now the dominant strain of Covid-19 in Wales, the chance of contracting the virus in hospital is "greater than ever". And it added that at present, there's more than 250 people in hospitals who are medically well enough to leave but are unable to do so for a number of reasons - whether that be they are waiting for a care package so they can return home, or waiting for a bed in a care home, for example.
Swansea Bay Health Board's director of public health, Dr Keith Reid, said: “A hospital is the best place to be if you are seriously unwell. But it is not such a great place to be if you are well enough to be in the community.
“Despite stringent measures it is not possible to keep Covid out of our hospitals and sadly some people have succumbed to it as a result. There is also the risk of contracting other infections.”
Dr Reid said that, with hospital visiting severely restricted because of high community infection rates, patients could also feel lonely and isolated.
“We would ask families with relatives in hospital who are no longer receiving active treatment to consider bringing them home, as home is much safer than hospital at the moment,” he added.
“We recognise that not all families will be in a position to do this. But if they are able to take their loved one home and help them on their journey to recovery, they will be doing them a great favour.
“The chance of them contracting Covid or other infection at home is far lower than in hospital, and home is a better environment for them to continue their recovery.
“Families who can do this would also be helping their local NHS at a time of great need.”
If you think you can bring your relative home, the health board has advised that you speak to the ward manager.
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