Welsh government pledges £100m to kick off health and social services pandemic recovery plan
The Welsh Government has published a plan to help the health and care system in Wales to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and has pledged an initial £100m to support the first steps.
The plan entitled Health and Social Care in Wales COVID 19: Looking Forward is supported by an initial £100m funding and highlights what it sees as the key aspects of recovery.
These include reducing health inequalities; building more responsive primary and community care; creating supportive mental health services; achieving better hospital services; working more effectively between health and social services; supporting and building a resilient workforce; and providing accessible digital support.
Welsh Health Minister Vaughan Gething commented that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the health and social care system, patients and staff, but that the Welsh Government is now in a position to set out how we can start to recover.
He said: “This plan sets out the broad principles of recovery and more detailed actions will follow. I am making available an initial £100m now to support the first steps, but it is clear more resources will be needed to make a full recovery.
“It will be a long journey, but it is also an opportunity to transform how we deliver health and care services in the future, and to tackle the health inequalities in our society that the pandemic has made even more evident.
“That is why, alongside our recovery plan, I am also pleased to announce our National Clinical Framework, which sets out how we see NHS clinical services developing over the next decade.”
According to the Welsh Government, the National Clinical Framework describes how the strategic development of clinical services can make the NHS fit for the challenges of the 21st century.
It is underpinned, it says, by the introduction of “quality statements” that set out in more detail the standards and outcomes that it expects to see from particular clinical services. The first two quality statements are for cancer and heart conditions, and replace the Cancer and Heart Condition Delivery Plans, which came to an end in December.
New technology, much of which emerged during the pandemic, will play a key part in the future delivery of services, according to the report, and the Welsh Government also announced it will spend £1.26 million to set up a centre to promote the use of new technologies in health and social care.
The investment will allow Technology Enabled Care Cymru to promote the use of new technologies, such as virtual consultation and remote monitoring of patients at home.
NHS Wales Chief Executive Andrew Goodall said the health and social care system is committed to learning from the pandemic and scaling up technological innovation.
“Previously, only eight per cent of outpatient consultations were virtual, but this has increased to more than 34 per cent since the start of the pandemic,” he said.
“For many patients this is a significant improvement in how they access services and we need to build on that, while ensuring that capacity for face-to-face services is focused on people who need to be seen in person.”
https://thiis.co.uk/welsh-government-pledges-100m-to-kick-off-health-and-social-services-pandemic-recovery-plan/https://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Vaughan_Gething_2016.jpghttps://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Vaughan_Gething_2016-150x150.jpgCOVID-19 Sector NewsGovernment & Local AuthoritiesInvestments & FundingNewsroomNHSReports & ResearchSector NewsUncategorisedCOVID-19,health,NHS,pandemic,recovery plan,social care,Vaughan Gething,Welsh GovernmentThe Welsh Government has published a plan to help the health and care system in Wales to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and has pledged an initial £100m to support the first steps. The plan entitled Health and Social Care in Wales COVID 19: Looking Forward is supported by an...Liane McIvorLiane McIvorliane@thiis.co.ukEditorTHIIS Magazine