An Independent NHS Executive

Conference notes:

A. The devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health service.

B. That progress on tackling the backlog from the pandemic has been slow and Welsh Government targets are unlikely to be met.

C. That even before the pandemic there was significant variation in care across Wales.

D. The ambition set out in A Healthier Wales,  and the National Clinical Framework.

E. The OECD review of healthcare quality in 2016 calling for a “stronger central guiding hand” to drive meaningful innovation and quality improvement.

F. The potential loss of a coherent and joined up approach across Wales as condition-specific delivery plans come to an end.

G. That the hybrid model for an NHS Executive proposed by Welsh Government lacks legislative competence over health boards and trusts and cannot mandate action.

Conference believes:

i. Everyone in Wales should have equal access to high quality care through the NHS.

ii. Urgent action is needed to address the NHS crisis in Wales.

iii. Current measures are failing to hold health boards to account on delivering best practice and improvement programmes.

iv. Improvement to patient care locally should be supported by national direction and oversight from a body that is politically and strategically independent of government.

v. Greater regional collaboration has the potential to reduce costs and improve care.

vi. That the co-production of clinical services with patient groups and health and care professionals can drive improvement.

Conference calls for:

1. Welsh Government to form an independent NHS Executive to provide strategic oversight and direction, with the powers to:

a. Support transformation across health board boundaries.

b. Provide national leadership to service improvement.

c. and analyse data to improve performance.

d. Improve patient outcomes across clinical specialties, public health, and tackle health inequalities.

e. Provide strong governance and accountability to ensure the best value from combined resources.

2. Welsh Government to enable greater transparency through the publication of key data, such as staff vacancies.

3. Greater consistency in the collection and reporting of data to enable comparison of services between health boards.

4. Welsh Government to publish the timetable for the next round of Quality Statements and for existing and recently lapsed condition-specific delivery plans to be extended until work has been completed.