Written question WQ85287

Quality Statements set expectations for the future planning and accountability arrangements for the NHS in Wales. The women’s health Quality Statement will set out Welsh Government’s expectations of how the NHS in Wales will support the needs of women. It will include expectations about mental health services and emotional wellbeing for women. The introduction of quality statements was signalled in A Healthier Wales and has been described in the National Clinical Framework as the next level of national planning for specific clinical services. It forms part of the enhanced focus on quality in healthcare delivery that was described in A Healthier Wales and the Quality and Safety Framework.

Additionally, Health Education and Improvement Wales and Social Care Wales are finalising the Mental Health Workforce Plan which will sit alongside the wider Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care which aims for a workforce where language, culture and diversity reflect our population.

We are also considering evidence and planning our engagement to inform priority areas for mental health services as part of the successor to Together for Mental Health. This will include engaging with a wide variety of stakeholders, including the Royal College of Psychiatrists. As part of the development of this strategy we will also be undertaking an integrated impact assessment which will be published alongside the successor strategy.