Download Future of Together for Health Delivery Plans

WRITTEN STATEMENT
BY
THE WELSH GOVERNMENT
TITLE
Future of Together for Health Delivery Plans
DATE
05 October 2015
BY
Vaughan Gething AM, Deputy Minister for Health
The Welsh Government’s five-year health strategy Together for Health, which was
published in 2011, outlined the vision for the Welsh NHS and its partners and led to
the creation of delivery plans for major conditions.
Each major health condition has its own delivery plan, which has been developed by
clinicians, patients and advocates for excellent care. They outline the actions which
will be taken to improve patient outcomes, patient experience and services.
These plans provide a focus for activity in relation to major conditions. Successes from
this work can be seen in:
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More people are surviving cancer than ever before;
Heart disease survival rates are improving and fewer people are dying
prematurely from coronary heart disease thanks to improved detection;
The number of people dying from stroke has fallen by 1,000 a year;
More people are surviving life-threatening injuries and illnesses as a result of
the specialist care they receive in critical care units in Welsh hospitals;
The number of emergency admissions for stroke, heart disease and diabetes is
falling as a result of better management in the community.
Wales is the only country to provide 24/7 consultant-led specialist palliative
care advice and support to health professionals caring for those approaching
end of life.
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Ninety-three per cent of responses to the iWantGreatCare patients’ evaluation
of experiences of specialist palliative care were positive. The average score
was 9.5 out of 10.
Most of the delivery plans are due to end in 2016. The plans will now be extended
until March 2020 to maintain the focus on improving services, outcomes and patient
experience. This is not about extending the deadline for delivery – this is about
building on the significant successes we have achieved together to date to ensure the
right care is provided at the right time and in the right place. Each of the plans
contains clear milestones and we will continue to expect all the actions to be delivered
in the timescales set out in the plans.
Each plan will be reviewed and refreshed at the end of its current cycle by the
respective delivery plan implementation groups. This will enable the plans to reflect
the Welsh Government’s new Prudent Healthcare Plan, which will be published in
January 2016 and any new national priorities set after the National Assembly elections
in May 2016.
In 2016, the cancer, heart disease, diabetes, end-of-life care, critically ill and stroke
delivery plans will all be reviewed and refreshed. The respiratory and neurological
conditions plans will be reviewed in 2017, with the primary care, oral health and eye
health plans following in 2018. The liver disease delivery plan is due to end in 2020
The decision to extend the delivery plans as a means of securing improvements to
services and outcomes for people with a major condition follows the Welsh
Government’s decision to invest £10m in the delivery plans. The cancer, diabetes,
stroke, neurological, respiratory, end-of-life, mental health, liver, heart disease and
critical care delivery plans have been allocated £1m to invest in key priorities, which
will to deliver tangible improvements to patient outcomes.
A Welsh Health Circular setting out the extension of plans and the refresh process has
been issued and is available here:
English:
http://gov.wales/docs/dhss/publications/150917whc046en.pdf
Welsh:
http://gov.wales/docs/dhss/publications/150917whc046cy.pdf
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