Written question WQ85996

We anticipate a very challenging and difficult winter and are working with the NHS and their wider partners to ensure they plan and deliver the wide service needs for the population of Wales.

Planned care delivery is part of a whole system approach, and the NHS has to plan to meet a variety of demanding expectations. We have made significant recurrent, additional investment (£170m) in elective care. This is being used to increase local services and commission additional capacity.

Sustainable planned care recovery is also about doing things differently and transforming the way services are delivered. We have invested £15m in supporting national and local transformation.

We have established a Planned Care Improvement and Recovery team in the NHS, as highlighted in “our programme for transforming and modernising planned care and reducing waiting lists in Wales. This team will support and challenge the NHS to maximise their resources and use them in a sustainable way. Where possible, I expect the number of day cases undertaken to increase reducing the need for overnight stays and the reliance on beds. Health boards will be looking to work differently, for example operating theatres will be used over longer periods, using three session days, six and in some cases seven day working. Efficiencies such as these will deliver more treatments within the existing resources.

It is essential that we minimise the risks to patients who may have to wait for their care, and as such, we continue to work with the NHS to understand how they can plan and deliver services across health board areas and to share capacity where it is appropriate. We are also exploring how we can better plan and deliver protected resources to ensure treatments can continue through the winter within a challenging emergency environment.