The plan commits to a number of immediate, medium and long term actions, including patients receiving a planned day of discharge on their first day of hospital, a target three-day for the majority and barriers to discharge removed.

Health secretary Angela Constance said: ‘Our plan will help people access more care at their fingertips, in their homes and in their communities and these reforms are designed to support them to live healthier, more independent lives.'

Other actions include:

• making it easier for people to access the support they need at the first time of asking, through an enhanced urgent care triage system
• increasing same day care provision
• eradicating corridor care
• Hospital at Home services for more than 10,000 patients this winter
• creating consolidated health and care hubs in communities
• implementing the ‘discharge without delay' approach in all health boards by this winter, including the increased use of acute frailty units.