Evaluability assessment of the Health and Social Care (Quality and Engagement) (Wales) Act 2020

The Health and Social Care (Quality and Engagement) (Wales) Act 2020 was fully commenced in April 2023. An evaluability assessment was undertaken to develop recommendations on an appropriate programme to evaluate the Act’s implementation and impact. It considered all four of the Act’s key provisions: the Duty of Quality, the Duty of Candour, the Citizen Voice Body for Health and Social Care, and the requirement for NHS trusts to have a statutory Vice Chair.

The report presents a theory of change and a table on proposed outcome measures for each part of the Act.

The report recommends a mixed method, contribution analysis approach to the evaluation. This approach would seek to identify the extent to which the Act has impacted the observed outcomes through testing the theories of change against new and existing evidence, recognising the complex context within which it is being implemented and recognising other influencing factors. This is likely to involve process and impact evaluation strands.

The report identifies a mix of existing data sources and primary data collection that could be used to inform the evaluation.

Each part of the Act is distinct, with its own theory of change, so the report recommends one overarching evaluation with separate elements for each part.