'What we need now is to speed up change' in NHS Wales
The pace of change in the Welsh NHS needs to speed up, says the Welsh government.
Responding to a parliamentary review into health and social care in Wales, the government says it wants a quicker transition to a more 'seamless' health and social care structure.
The vision is set out in a report called 'A healthier Wales'. The plan "focuses on providing more joined-up services, in community settings" with patients only going to general hospital when it is essential.
The idea is that when hospital-based care is needed it can be accessed more quickly.
This new plan, it's hoped, will speed up the pace of change. Initially, it will be funded by a £100m Transformation Fund.
This fund is designed to remove the perceived inertia within some parts of the health service and begin change immediately.
The chief executive of NHS Wales, Andrew Goodall said: "What we need now is to speed up change, not to go in a different direction."
The Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething, said: “This will be a revolution from within the health service. We have to move on from the idea that the hospital is the first or best place for you to be when you are unwell. That isn’t always the case, especially when there are a range of local services that will allow you to remain safely at home."
The Royal College of GPs said the plan needs to result in tangible improvements to service.
The chair of the college, Dr Rebecca Payne, said: “We note that the language used throughout, such as the continued focus on preventative care and care closer to home, will only be achieved if general practice thrives.
“The key thing now is making sure this document leads to tangible improvements in patient care; warm words need to be backed up with actions. General practice remains significantly under-resourced and this plan needs to be a catalyst for change.”
Welsh Government says the plan also commits it to "increasing investment in digital technologies and to support and develop the workforce, including unpaid carers and volunteers."
The Royal College of Surgeons welcomed the plans, highlighting the impact they could have on demands for hospital care.
Mr Tim Havard, Director for Wales at the Royal College of Surgeons said: “Providing more care in the community should also offer some relief to busy hospitals by freeing up beds and staff so that those patients with the most serious illnesses can receive treatment more quickly.
“Waiting times for some types of treatment remain too high in Wales. As the Welsh Government’s plans for health and social care take root, we hope there will be an opportunity to focus on improving timely access to hospital services for Wales’s sickest patients alongside necessary improvements to primary and community care.”
The Director of the Royal College of Nursing in Wales, Tina Donnelly, said: “What is clear in this plan is that at last we have a vision for the future of our National Health Service going forward."