A survey examined the management of care-leaving services in Wales.
Source: Management of Care Leaving Services Survey, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Date: 2005-Dec
The Welsh Assembly government published a revised framework and action plan for adult mental health services.
Source: Raising the Standard: Revised adult mental health national service framework and an action plan for Wales, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Framework (pdf) | Mind press release
Date: 2005-Oct
A Health Bill was published, providing the Welsh Assembly Government with the powers necessary to ban smoking in public places in Wales.
Source: Health Bill, Department of Health, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | WAG press release
Date: 2005-Oct
A committee of Welsh Assembly members reviewed the National Service Framework for Mental Health, and made recommendations for improving user and carer participation.
Source: Review of the National Service Framework for Mental Health - Standard 2: User and carer participation, Health and Social Services Committee/National Assembly for Wales (02920 898505)
Links: Report (pdf) | Mind press release
Date: 2005-Oct
An article said that the impact of devolution on the health systems of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland was almost impossible to gauge, due to a lack of information needed to make meaningful comparisons.
Source: Arturo Alvarez-Rosete, Gwyn Bevan, Nicholas Mays and Jennifer Dixon, 'Effect of diverging policy across the NHS', British Medical Journal, 22 October 2005
Links: Article | Kings Fund press release
Date: 2005-Oct
An inspectorate report said that social care standards in Wales had improved: but in many service areas there was still work to do.
Source: Annual Report: 2004-2005, Care Standards Inspectorate for Wales (01443 848450)
Links: Report (pdf) | WAG press release
Date: 2005-Oct
An audit report said that there were significant gaps in key elements of service delivery in relation to adult mental health services in Wales.
Source: Adult Mental Health Services in Wales: A baseline review of service provision, Wales Audit Office (029 2026 0260)
Links: Report (pdf) | WAO press release | Mind press release
Date: 2005-Oct
The Welsh Assembly Government began consultation on plans to abolish inspection fees paid by social care and independent healthcare services regulated by the Assembly, with effect from 1 April 2006.
Source: Press release 19 October 2005, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: WAG press release
Date: 2005-Oct
An inspectorate report said that local councils in Wales had got better at protecting vulnerable adults from abuse: but more needed to be done to improve the assessment of risk, monitoring outcomes, and communication with the police and other partners.
Source: Inspection of Services for the Protection of Vulnerable Adults, Social Services Inspectorate for Wales (029 2082 5655)
Links: Report (pdf) | WAG press release
Date: 2005-Sep
A report outlined the progress made in implementing the strategy for older people in Wales.
Source: A Report on the Second Year of the Strategy for Older People in Wales, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Report (pdf) | WAG press release
Date: 2005-Sep
The Welsh Assembly government published a National Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services.
Source: National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services in Wales, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Framework | WAG press release
Date: 2005-Sep
A report said that the social work profession in Wales needed to be overhauled - with improved pay for social workers, improved management of front-line staff, and increased practice learning opportunities.
Source: Social Work in Wales: A profession to value, All Wales Unit (01792 470616)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary | Community Care report
Date: 2005-Aug
A report mapped Welsh health issues according to geographical area.
Source: Health in Wales: A report on health in Wales based on the results from the 2001 Census, Wales Centre for Health (029 2022 7744) and Local Government Data Unit Wales
Links: Report (pdf) | WCH press release
Date: 2005-Aug
A survey report examined the state of people?s health in Wales, their lifestyles, and how they used the health service.
Source: Welsh Health Survey 2003/04, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Report (pdf links) | WAG press release
Date: 2005-Jul
The Welsh Assembly government began consultation on a draft National Service Framework for Older People, setting out what older people could expect from health and social care services by setting national standards to drive up quality and reduce variations in service delivery.
Source: Draft National Service Framework for Older People in Wales, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Consultation document (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | WAG press release
Date: 2005-Jul
The Welsh Assembly government began consultation on a national plan to improve the health of children and young people by providing healthier food and more physical activity.
Source: Health Challenge Wales: Action on food and fitness for children and young people, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 6105)
Links: Consultation document (pdf) | WAG press release
Date: 2005-Jul
An inspectorate report said that most patients in Wales were satisfied with the care they received from the National Health Service and local authority social services, and that services were starting to work well together to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.
Source: Thematic Inspection of Health and Social Services for Adults who Require Hospital Inpatient Treatment for Physical Ill-health in Wales, Social Services Inspectorate for Wales (029 2082 5655)
Links: Report (pdf) | WAG press release
Date: 2005-Jun
A concordat was signed between 15 different bodies responsible for inspecting, regulating and auditing health and social care in Wales. The concordat was designed to support the improvement of heath and social care services, and to eliminate unnecessary burdens of inspection programmes on front-line staff.
Source: Concordat Between Bodies Inspecting, Regulating and Auditing Health and Social Care in Wales, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Concordat (pdf) | Covering letter (pdf)
Date: 2005-May
The Welsh Assembly government published a 10-year strategy for health and social care in Wales. The strategy was designed to promote the health and well-being of Welsh people through engagement with frontline staff, service users and the public; and through an evidence-based strategy linked to innovation and a commitment to best practice.
Source: Designed for Life: Creating world class health and social care for Wales in the 21st century, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2080 1033)
Links: Report (pdf) | WAG press release
Date: 2005-May
A Bill was introduced to create a Commissioner for Older People in Wales.
Source: Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill [HL], Wales Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Wales Office press release
Date: 2005-May
A report by a committee of the Welsh Assembly called for a ban on smoking in public places and workplaces.
Source: Committee on Smoking in Public Places: Report, National Assembly for Wales (029 2082 5111)
Links: Report (pdf) | WCH press release
Date: 2005-May
The Welsh Assembly government published (following consultation) a common framework of healthcare standards to support the National Health Service and partner organizations.
Source: Healthcare Standards for Wales, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2080 1033)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-May
A report said that advances in the availability of health-related information (via sources such as websites and telephone help lines) had failed to alleviate pressure on family doctors' surgeries in Wales.
Source: Sarah Richards, In Sickness and in Health: Consumer access to health information, Welsh Consumer Council (029 2025 5454)
Links: Report (pdf) | WCC press release
Date: 2005-Apr
From 1 April 2005, charges for National Health Service prescriptions in Wales were cut by 1 to 4, compared to 6.50 in England. A 12-month pre-payment certificate cost 57.46, compared to 93.20 in England.
Source: The Guardian, 1 April 2005
Links: Guardian report | Welsh Consumer Council press release
Date: 2005-Apr
A report by a committee of Welsh Assembly members examined the interface between health and social care, and made recommendations for improvements.
Source: Report of Review of the Interface between Health and Social Care, Health and Social Services Committee/National Assembly for Wales (029 2089 8148)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Mar
A draft Bill to create a Commissioner for Older People in Wales was published for public consultation.
Source: Draft Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill, Cm 6498, Wales Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Draft Bill (pdf) | Wales Office press release
Date: 2005-Mar
A report said that people in Wales were living longer, with average life expectancy for men rising in 2002 to 75.5 years (from 75.3 years in 2001) and for women of 80.1 years (80 in 2001): but there were substantial geographical variations. Some 18-23 per cent of the population reported a limiting long-term illness.
Source: Health Status Wales 2004-05, Office of the Chief Medical Officer/Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Report (pdf) | WAG press release
Date: 2005-Feb
A report was published of a project which examined health issues relating to looked-after children in Wales. The project included partnership work with local agencies and consultation with children and young people. The report made a number of recommendations about services for looked after children in Wales.
Source: The Looking After Health Project 2002-2004, Children in Wales (029 2034 2434)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Feb
An audit report said that most patients in Wales were treated within the targets set for the National Health Service: but some people could face long waiting times for non-emergency health treatment. The report pointed to inefficiencies in the system of health and social care which contributed to long waiting times.
Source: NHS Waiting Times in Wales, Auditor General for Wales (029 2067 8500)
Links: Report part 1 (pdf) | Report part 2 (pdf) | AGW press release (Word file) | BMA press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Jan
