- 02/08/2013
- Posted by: Mike Hedges MS
- Category: Latest News
Joining up health and social care will allow people to live at home and remain independent for longer, relieving pressure on acute services, according to new plans from the Welsh Government.
With people living longer than ever before, but with a rise in chronic conditions, trends will be for an increased demand for acute and community care services for older people with complex needs in Wales. Welsh Labour’s Health Minister Mark Drakeford and Gwenda Thomas, Deputy Minister for Social Services, have issued a joint statement outlining plans to move resources to community care with a commitment to coordinate health and social care.
The statement highlights the Welsh Government’s requirements of health boards and local authorities for successful integration as:
- A set of outcomes measures across health and social services, starting with older people with complex needs;
- More say for individuals and their carers in the care they receive;
- Strong shared leadership across organisations at all levels;
- Systems to share information safely across organisations and geographical boundaries;
- Bringing early intervention, out-of-hours, reablement, intermediary care and frailty services together in a single system in which dignity and privacy are paramount.
