Written question WQ85298

In 2022-23, each health board can access up to £2.96m of the £25m Six Goals for Urgent and Emergency Care programme budget, with the exception of Powys Teaching Health Board and Velindre University NHS Trust, which can access up to £0.91m and £0.9m, respectively.

The following priorities have been set for local programme plans:

• Continuing focus on the priority areas of urgent primary care centres and same-day emergency care, to allow for continued development and maturation of models of care;

• The recruitment of Six Goals programme ‘improvement triumvirate teams’ consisting of clinical, operational and analytical expertise at health board level;

• Where appropriate, and subject to clear investment plans, additional projects that support a wider system benefit and align to delivery of one or more of the six goals.

To support delivery of this work, health boards are expected to establish local Six Goals programme boards, chaired at executive level with membership to include representation from Regional Partnership Boards, social care, the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust and a communications lead.

A £4m Six Goals for Urgent and Emergency Care programme innovation and delivery fund has also been established to support nationally coordinated projects to support the delivery of the six goals.

Funding was recently approved for delivery of an NHS 111 Wales national communications and marketing campaign in 2022-23.

The campaign will aim to:

• Encourage behaviour change – towards 111 as a first port of call for free and trusted health information and advice throughout Wales.

• Ensure people access the right part of the healthcare system at the right time – with 111 as the digital and telephonic gateway to care/signposting to the most appropriate and safe care, dependent on patient need.

• Increase awareness of the NHS 111 Wales website; promoting a “digital first” approach – encouraging more self-reliance and self-care for low acuity conditions.

• To increase brand awareness of NHS 111 Wales and its purpose, and to measure any shift in awareness and activity across platforms and care settings.

• To support the development of digital healthcare more broadly (e.g. in primary care), building on the experiences of the pandemic to encourage and support the people of Wales in their acceptance and adoption of digitally-based healthcare

This represents the first phase of our broader national communications strategy and will be driven through the behaviour change, communications and marketing enabling work-stream.

Activities or products taken forward by the work-stream will be commissioned, supported and funded in accordance with the governance and accountability structures in place as part of the Six Goals for Urgent and Emergency Care programme.