Fourth Assembly Committee Legacy

Your contact details

Name:	Audrey Rogers (Assistant Director Therapies and Health Science)
Are you responding as an individual or on behalf of an organisation?	On behalf of Kathryn Davies (Director Commissioning / Therapies and Health Science) Executive lead for Strategic Integration
Organisation (and role if applicable):	Hywel Dda University Health Board

Question 1

Thinking about the past five years, in your view:

- to what extent has the Health and Social Care Committee had an impact on health and social care in Wales?

The focus and profile of Unpaid & Family Carers has certainly been raised.

The committee has successfully sought views from a range of agencies and the public with regard to the Social Services and Wellbeing Act.  It has provided the opportunity to ensure there has been significant and relevant user representation when scrutinising the legislation as it has been developed.

The committee has achieved balance in its recommendations by taking account of public lobbying without being disproportionately influenced by it during its scrutiny process.

- what has been the Committee’s biggest achievement?

Overseeing the introduction of the Carers Measure (Wales) 2010.

Providing appropriate scrutiny for the development of the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014.

- if the Committee could have done one thing differently, what would it be, and why?

The Committee could have combined and integrated the Local Authority Refresh Carers Strategy and that of the Health Board led Information & Consultation Strategy for Carers.

The Committee could have done a little more to recommend and facilitate an integrated approach to Health & Social Care issues e.g. a single approach to performance measurement, although there is a discreet move towards this more recently the Committee could have strengthened their voice and made this more overt.

The Committee could provide more feedback on how issues brought to their attention are considered and decided upon as it is not always obvious unless there is a clear change seen within policy and legislation.

- has the Committee’s work struck the right balance between scrutiny of policy, finances and legislation?

In the main yes.

Question 2

Looking ahead to the next five years, in your view what will be the three biggest challenges for health and social care in Wales?

1) The biggest health and social care challenge will be meeting an increasing demand and expectation for care at home with reducing budgets, an ageing population and a diminishing workforce.  The committee will need to do more to support how we will deliver Health & Social care sustainability; Ensuring the delivery of an integrated primary and community services, out of hospital model that is appropriately resourced to meet the growing demands of an ageing population, and supports the development of new models of care.  We will have to work in a more integrated way and develop community resilience to deliver services differently.  To meet this challenge we will need;

§ Availability of a skilled workforce that  maximises  the benefit of multidisciplinary teams, and the use of the non registered workforce, to support safe and effective care.

§ Infrastructure in order to utilise advances in technology and prescribing and informatics.

§ More creative use of Estate across Agencies to deliver local healthcare.

2) Communication and co-production with patients and the public, third and Independent Sector will be required with more support in influencing the public message regarding co-production and self management.  Without support with this we will not succeed.

3) Striking the right balance for Unpaid and Family Carers as part of the new Social Service Wellbeing Act to maintain their profile across Wales.