Health and Social Services Minister Eluned Morgan has set-out plans for a £100m investment to kick-start the health and care system’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The money for new equipment, staff, technology and ways of working will help health boards improve services across primary, community and hospital care, by increasing capacity and cutting waiting times as they begin resuming non-emergency care following the pandemic.
The Minister said:
Helping our health and social care services recover from the pandemic is going to take time, investment and a new approach to delivering care.
The remarkable commitment of our NHS and social care workers has helped us through this pandemic to a point where we can now start to think about the future. I am determined that we now provide them the support they need to help the service recover.
I am under no illusions about the size of the task ahead, but it is also important to recognise we now have a real opportunity to transform the delivery of health and care services. We must take this opportunity to create a health and care system that is fit for the future. The pandemic saw the early and swift adoption of new technology and ways of working, I want to see health boards build on this good work.
The Welsh Government is committing an extra £1bn to support our recovery plan. Today I am detailing how an initial £100m will be allocated to our NHS to start this work.
The initial £100m will be allocated as follows:
- Cardiff and Vale £13m to increase capacity for a range of therapies and diagnostics, including staff recruitment and two new mobile theatres
- Powys £2.5m to transform patient services and increase capacity for a range of services.
- Cwm Taf Morgannwg £16m for recruitment and investment in surgical and diagnostic capacity
- Hywel Dda £13m to improve capacity for planned care, including hospital redesign, investment in diagnostics
- Aneurin Bevan Health £17m for projects to increased capacity in planned care, diagnostics, therapies and mental health.
- Swansea Bay £16m to increase capacity in a wide range of areas, including theatres, recruitment and ophthalmology
- Betsi Cadwaldr £20m to increase capacity in planned care, cancer, dental, diagnostics and endoscopy
- Velindre £2.5m to increase capcity for radiotherapy