£5 million announced to relieve winter pressure on critical care in Wales

Wales Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething, has announced £5 million will be spent this financial year to help relieve pressure on critical care units across Wales this winter.

The £5m is part of the new £15m annual funding for critical care the Welsh Government announced in July 2018. The £15m fund aims to strengthen all aspects of critical care and help to redesign the way critical care services in Wales are delivered.

Decisions on how the money is allocated are made by a Task and Finish Group, chaired by the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Jones. This is the first funding decision made by the group.

Health Boards with critical care units will be allocated a proportion of the funding which will used to help increase critical care capacity during the busy winter period.

Vaughan Gething said: “We know that winter brings with it a range of pressures across the NHS in Wales, critical care units are not immune to that pressure and often feel it the most.

“When I announced the £15m funding and Task and Finish Group back in July I wanted us to have a firmer central hand in place to ensure the right services are delivered in the right place, at the right time to secure more sustainable services for the future.The money I’ve announced today is that ambition in action and I hope the money allocated today to help increase critical care capacity will make a real difference this winter.”

_{Picture (c) Nick Potts / PA Wire.}