Mike Hedges AM welcomes plans to move to less reliance on hospitals & more care closer to home as Health Secretary Outline’s revolution in Wales’ health & social care

Mike Hedges AM welcomes plans to move to less reliance on hospitals & more care closer to home as Health Secretary Outline’s revolution in Wales’ health & social care
Health and Social Services Secretary, Vaughan Gething, has outlined major changes to the way NHS and social care is organised in the future, bringing more care closer to home, with less reliance on hospitals

Mike Hedges AM said… ‘I welcome this news – it is vital that in future Health and Social Services work more closely together; indeed there is a case for a fully integrated service. Closer working should lead to better use of resources and less bed blocking as people are unable to leave hospital even though they are ready to do so.

The plan aims to improve local services which ought to have a positive impact on hospital admission rates too. I welcome that the Welsh government is leading the way with this plan’

The proposals are set out in the Welsh Government’s long-term plan for the future of health and social care in Wales, A Healthier Wales, which focuses on providing more joined-up services, in community settings – removing many of the current frustrations expressed by those both using and working within the system.

In the future people will only go to a general hospital when it is essential. The intention is to create even better care locally, with support and treatment available across a range of community-based services. This shift will mean that when hospital based care is needed it can be accessed more quickly,

The changes will begin immediately, with a £100million Transformation Fund to support the implementation of the plan. The funding will be targeted at resources to speed up the process, including the development of new integrated prevention services and activities in the community.