Health and social care system to receive £180m boost

PLANS to transform Wales’ health and social care system will receive a £180m funding boost next year, ministers announced today.

Health and Social Services Secretary Vaughan Gething and Minister for Children, Older People and Social Care Huw IrrancaDavies today set out their spending priorities for 2019-20.

Earlier this year, the Welsh Government published A Healthier Wales, the long-term plan for health and social care.

As part of the process of transforming the system, the Welsh Government wants everyone to have access to a single integrated package of health and social care when they need it. This may be delivered by several different services, according to people’s needs.

Mr Gething said: “The £180m package of investment we’re confirming today for health and social care in Wales represents a significant additional investment next year. It will be targeted across the health and social care system, to reflect the integrated approach we are promoting towards the development of seamless models of care.”

A package of £130m funding in 2019-20 will help to deliver the single integrated package of support and will be available to health and social care regional partnerships throughout Wales. The funding will be allocated across three main areas:

£50m of revenue funding for the Integrated Care Fund, which aims to reduce pressure on the hospital and social care system by helping to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions, inappropriate admissions to residential care, and delayed hospital discharges;

£30m to be allocated through the regional partnership boards – these are shared decision-making bodies between health boards and local authorities. Regional partnership boards will play a leading role in the delivery of A Healthier Wales;

£50m for the Transformation Fund, which will be allocated to programmes endorsed by regional partnership boards, to take forward the development and implementation of new models of care.

Ministers have also confirmed local authority social care services will receive £50m next year – £20m will be provided as part of the local government revenue support grant and a further £30m as a specific grant from the health and social services budget.

Mr Irranca-Davies added: “The £50m additional investment we’re making in social care will help services meet the growing demand for services and the needs of individuals in communities’ right across Wales.

“This wider package of investment demonstrates our commitment to the development of a truly seamless health and social care system in Wales.”