April 2025
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This conference assessed key priorities and next steps for improving healthcare provision and patient outcomes in Wales.
Policy
It was a timely opportunity for stakeholders and policymakers to discuss the way forward, with the Welsh Government announcing a refreshed set of actions to support the delivery of A Healthier Wales, the Welsh Government’s long-term plan for health and social care.
We expected attendees to consider the issues alongside assessing how health services are moving forward in the wake of major concerns relating to waiting times and ambulance services, and declarations of critical incidents in recent months.
Service improvement
Delegates looked at next steps for improving service delivery, opportunities for moving towards a preventive model of care, and issues surrounding healthcare inequalities and existing disparities in care outcomes and access, as highlighted in the Bevan Commission’s The Foundations for the Future Model of Health and Care in Wales report. Delegates assessed key issues for improving partnership working, service planning and commissioning in line with recommendations for a shift to community-based care and stronger collaboration between health services.
Innovation
The agenda also brought out latest thinking on advancing digital transformation in healthcare, following the publication of Digital Health and Care Wales’ Organisational Strategy 2024-2030. Attendees examined progress on expanding digital health records and prescribing technology, and how the NHS Wales App can best be developed to support patients to manage their needs, as well as value for money and achieving the strategy’s wider missions for supporting better outcomes for patients.
Workforce
Further sessions assessed practical steps for workforce development and sustainability, looking at the implementation of HEIW’s Strategic Workforce Plan for Primary Care.
Delegates examined the impact of recent agency workforce reduction measures, strategies for addressing recruitment and retention challenges, and opportunities for high-quality training. They considered what is required to support the workforce to adapt to shifts in care models to the community, whilst driving improvements to healthcare delivery.
Discussion summary
- A Healthier Wales:
- evaluating progress toward key objectives - priorities for enhancing care delivery
- strategies to alleviate NHS waiting times - options for improving access to care - person-centred care
- digital transformation: priorities following the long-term Organisational Strategy - expanding digital health records - utilising technology to improve patient outcomes - role of the NHS Wales App
- integrated health services:
- addressing the National Framework for Social Prescribing - improving holistic care through community-based support
- collaboration between health and social care to provide more sustainable, integrated services - supporting partnership-working - priorities for funding, planning and commissioning
- workforce development and sustainability:
- implementing the Strategic Workforce Plan for Primary Care - addressing recruitment and retention challenges - opportunities for high-quality training and development for the workforce
- outcomes from agency workforce reduction measures - impact of the North Wales Medical School and Kerala Government agreement to recruit 250 healthcare professionals
- driving improvements to the quality and safety of healthcare delivery
- healthcare inequalities and access disparities:
- findings from the Bevan Commission on disparities in healthcare access - priorities for improving patient choice and access to care
- strategies to address disparities - the role of community-based care - improving integration of services - working with key sectors such as housing and employment to improve health outcomes
- prevention:
- developing a more preventative health system to reduce future strain on services
- addressing growing healthcare demands of an aging population, as well as high rates of obesity and diabetes
All delegates were able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those that attended include officials from the Welsh Government; CIW; and HMPPS.
