Welsh NHS Confederation director Darren Hughes has welcomed the Welsh Government's £30 million additional funding to local authorities to strengthen community-based social care services and improve hospital discharge processes.
However, he pointed out that social care is much more than hospital discharge and a long-term solution was needed.
"Care workers play a crucial role in supporting people to remain independent for longer and preventing hospital admissions in the first place," he added.
He called for parity between the NHS and social care. "This means ensuring the workforce feels properly valued, paid, and respected for their important work," he said.
"Local authorities and health boards must work together to invest the funding to strengthen community-based health and social care and support services to enable the best outcomes for people and communities," he added.
“Unless we move to a longer-term vision for health and social care, we will still be fighting the same battles in years to come,” he said.
