What is the Cabinet Secretary's assessment of the implications for Wales of the recent findings from the University College London and the University of Oxford stating that rates of chronic disease, obesity and disability have been increasing across successive generations in the UK?
In September 2023, the Chief Scientific Adviser for Health published a report describing the challenges the NHS in Wales is likely to face over the next 10 to 25 years, including the likely trajectory of some long-term conditions and risk factors and how this will impact on our health and care services.
The findings of this report provide a significant evidence base to support our policy development and service planning. It validates the long-term policy direction set out in A Healthier Wales, which focuses on prevention and addressing health inequalities. We are currently updating the strategy to continue supporting people to manage their own health and wellbeing and to encourage health and care services to take a more proactive approach in preventing or delaying the onset of long-term health conditions.
GPs and primary care services are at the forefront of chronic condition management. The Primary Care Model for Wales was adopted in 2018 as the agreed approach to organising health and wellbeing services in line with A Healthier Wales.
To inform the planning and delivery of high-quality and sustainable services for long-term health conditions, there is a suite of nationally-agreed health pathways linked to a series of quality statements, which were developed in collaboration with health boards. Much of the focus of the quality statements is on improving chronic condition management to support better outcomes, including reducing the risk of complication, and thereby supporting more sustainable healthcare services.
This is supported by the establishment of the NHS Executive, which includes a series of strategic clinical networks to enhance clinical leadership in areas such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.