Problems in Welsh NHS to get fixed sooner, says health minister

Problems in the Welsh NHS will be spotted and addressed before they become serious issues, Wales’ health minister has said.

Mabon ap Gwynfor updated Senedd Members today (September 29) on a review of the effectiveness of NHS Wales’ current system – the ‘Escalation and Intervention Framework’.

After speaking with health board bosses, Mabon ap Gwynfor said a new method had been designed to “provide a single, coherent approach”.

This would allow NHS bodies to fix faults, with the right support, before the need for formal escalation.

He said: “The aim of these changes is to give the people of Wales greater confidence that NHS services receive the necessary support to respond to challenges and improve.”

“Ineffective”

Reform’s new spokesperson for health and care, Benjamin Hodge Mckenna, described the current set-up as “ineffective”.

Health boards, he said, should be held to a “higher quality of standard” before problems occur instead of “seeking to administer remedial action after the issues have arisen”.

Mr Hodge Mckenna asked what lessons will be learnt under the new framework, and how these will be applied to health boards across Wales.

Responding, Mr ap Gwynfor said health boards will be led by NHS Wales Performance and Improvement, in applying fixes.

“Best possible care”

Labour leader Ken Skates wanted to know what difference a new system would make.

He said: “Patients want to know that when they go into a hospital that they’re getting the best possible care, and that they’re being treated as quickly as possible. How does this framework help with that?”

Mr ap Gwynfor told Mr Skates the new framework has “clearer thresholds”, “less duplication”, and “greater transparency”.

He said: “There’s a stronger focus on outcomes rather than just dealing with a crisis when it hits.

“We make sure that we deal with something earlier on so that those outcomes, whether it be ambulance times or urgent and emergency care or finance and performance, are seen at an earlier stage, and there are better outcomes in that respect.”

“Damning indictment”

Drawing on the example of Betsi Cadwaladr UHB, Conservative spokesperson for health and social care Natasha Asghar told members the health board had been in the highest level of intervention for “several years”.

She said: “Betsi has spent longer in special measures than any other organisation in the history of the NHS. This is a damning indictment of the current framework.”

The health minister reminded members that responsibility and accountability for day-to-day services would remain with health boards, despite the changes.

He added: “I don’t personally run the health board or go in there and dictate what staff do or what theatre spaces are used and so forth. 

“That’s why we have to make sure that we have a system in place that people can have confidence in, that is transparent, that people know what the issues are and that is consistent across Wales, and that’s what we’re putting in place here.”