The Welsh Government has announced a £30m investment to deliver additional care in the community or at home while minimising the pressure on hospitals.

Health and Social Services Minister Eluned Morgan and Social Services Deputy Minister Julie Morgan will work with local governments, the NHS and other partners.

This will help enhance local care services to assist in minimising the pressure on the health and care system.

Building on the 670 additional community beds delivered, the latest investment is expected to boost people’s chances of living independently at home, expand the use of technology, and redeploy staff and resources.

In addition, the investment will help deliver extra reablement service hours across Wales, recruit more community workers and bolster community specialist palliative care.

Every local authority will have a Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Responder Service by next year.

Eluned Morgan said: “It’s estimated that in less than 20 years, there will be nearly 150,000 more people aged 75 or older in Wales and there is a projected increase of 61.3% in the Welsh population who are 85 and over.

“We need to move the focus from treating short-term episodes of ill-health to meeting the needs of more frail and elderly people with multiple health conditions.”

The investment will also avoid hospital admissions through early intervention and help lessen the pressure on beds in hospitals.

Julie Morgan said: “I want to see consistency across Wales in the standards of care frail people can expect to get in their community, leading eventually to a community care service for Wales.”