NHS Wales to be strengthened following independent review

A series of changes, recommended by a group of independent experts in a milestone report designed to strengthen the NHS, are being taken forward by the Welsh Government.

Health Secretary Jeremy Miles says he has accepted the 29 recommendations made by the Ministerial Advisory Group on NHS Performance and Productivity, which was set up in October to look at the effectiveness of current NHS Wales arrangements.

The review, led by Sir David Sloman, focused on planned care, diagnostics, cancer performance and urgent and emergency care and considered ways to improve productivity and performance, including digital and data and improving regional working.

Recommendations

The publication of the report comes after the Health Secretary delivered a major speech about leadership and accountability in the NHS, which also set out the plan to continue to cut long waiting times and the overall size of the waiting list in 2025-26.

The Ministerial Advisory Group report – which is published today alongside the Welsh Government’s response – makes 29 recommendations, including suggestions for improving waiting list management, removing unwarranted variation in treatment, using national and regional plans to establish sustainable services and enhancing leadership within NHS Wales.

Performance

The Welsh Government is proposing to accept or accept in part all the recommendations and says that work is already underway to address many of these.

Mr Miles will today (Tuesday 29) speak at an event in Cardiff to mark the publication of the report.

He said: “The message in the report is very clear: we have a significant challenge in performance and in productivity. The service is not performing at the levels that we or the public need and expect it to.

“That demands a step change in our approach so we can improve the services the public receives, deliver better health outcomes they deserve, and make sure every pound spent brings the best value, as demands on the health service increase into the future.

“But the report is also optimistic. Time and again it outlines the strength of the assets we have in Wales. It highlights the commitment and skill of our staff – clinical and managerial – of good strategy, and often of good practice.”