Review of the advisory structure for health in Wales

Welsh Government Health Minister Mark Drakeford has today launched a three month call for evidence in order to review the current advisory structure of health bodies in Wales and help determine what reforms are necessary to make the system more efficient, effective and authoritative.

The reforms will provide clear benefits to the NHS in Wales such as identifying relevant specialists and development of clinical leaders, giving service and professional standards more uniformity, coordinating services across LHB borders and driving forward Welsh Government delivery plans.

Mark Drakeford said: “Over recent years the Welsh Government and NHS Wales have undergone substantial organisational change.

“Over the same time, the number of standing advisory bodies for health, to both the Government and the health service, has increased to the point where there is now a plethora of groups not aligning to the latest service structures and policy drivers.

“The danger is that these groups are now less than the sum of their parts and need to be reviewed, reformed and re-energised to help us deliver a 21st century healthcare system.

“We need a strong, credible system for harnessing expert clinical opinion in order to drive forward service improvement. In turn, this will help us deliver better health outcomes and to develop new service models that allow us to live within our resources.

“We must also ensure it identifies nurtures and utilises the best clinical leaders that NHS Wales has to offer. If it does this then the challenges ahead for the NHS in Wales are more surmountable.”

The review will include the statutory advisory committees to the Welsh Government such as the Welsh Medical Committee, the National Specialist Advisory Groups, Local Health Professional Forums, and the local professional groups such as the Local Dental Committees.