Patients in the Southern Trust have been left waiting in hospital for more than four months after becoming medically fit for discharge because suitable homecare was not available, newly released figures show.
The longest delay recorded because of a lack of homecare provision was 130 days at Craigavon Area Hospital in 2022 and 131 days at Daisy Hill Hospital in 2025. The figures were provided by the Health Minister in response to an Assembly Question from Newry and Armagh DUP MLA Gareth Wilson.
The figures highlight the pressure facing patients and families across the Southern Trust area, including those relying on services connected with Craigavon Area Hospital. They also raise concerns about the effect of limited homecare capacity on hospital beds, waiting lists and emergency departments.
Sharp contrast between the two hospitals
At Craigavon Area Hospital, the longest recorded delay improved from 130 days in 2022 to 66 days in 2025. However, the position at Daisy Hill Hospital moved in the opposite direction.
Daisy Hill’s longest delay increased from 74 days in 2022 to 131 days in 2025. That means the longest wait recorded there extended beyond four months last year, despite the patient being ready to leave hospital and the only stated barrier being the unavailability of appropriate homecare provision.
Mr Wilson said the figures demonstrated the continuing strain on Northern Ireland’s health and social care system. He warned that patients should not have to remain in hospital for months because a necessary care package cannot be arranged.
“No patient should be forced to remain in hospital for months after they are medically fit for discharge simply because the necessary care package cannot be put in place.”
He said prolonged stays were frustrating for patients and their families and added pressure to hospital capacity when every available bed was needed.
Impact on patients and hospital services
Delayed discharge can affect a person’s physical and mental wellbeing, according to Mr Wilson. He said most people wanted to recover at home, surrounded by family and familiar support networks, but that this was not possible for everyone because of ongoing difficulties securing homecare.
He also linked the delays to wider workforce shortages and pressures in community care. When patients cannot leave hospital, beds remain occupied, waiting lists can grow and pressure increases in emergency departments and inpatient wards.
Mr Wilson welcomed efforts to improve discharge arrangements and expand community-based care, but said substantial work remained. He called on the Department of Health and the Southern Trust to prioritise the recruitment and retention of homecare staff and ensure vulnerable patients could receive support in a timely way.
“Patients deserve dignity, independence and the right support at the right time.”
He said reducing discharge delays must remain a priority both to improve patient outcomes and to ease pressure across hospitals.
Southern Trust response
The Southern Trust said it was experiencing significant demographic pressure, with the number of older people rising faster than in any other Trust area in Northern Ireland. It said the demand for homecare continued to exceed supply while the cost and staffing challenges involved in providing services were increasing.
Despite those pressures, Trust homecare staff and independent-sector partners support more than 4,550 people each day and deliver about 60,000 hours of care every week, the Trust said.
The organisation said it was committed to modernising and strengthening homecare so more people could remain in their own homes while reducing pressure on hospitals and care homes. Its plans include streamlining services, expanding personalised support and working with independent providers on new models that better match capacity with demand.
The Trust said those models would also need to address different challenges in urban and rural areas. It acknowledged that waiting for homecare could be difficult for service users and families, adding that care packages were kept under review and key workers were available to provide advice and support.
Families were also asked, where possible, to help care for loved ones or consider alternative care arrangements while waiting for a longer-term option. The figures show that the scale and duration of discharge delays remain uneven across the Southern Trust, with the latest stated maximum wait reaching 131 days at Daisy Hill Hospital in 2025.