A new book examined how child protection systems differed across the four countries of the United Kingdom.
Source: Anne Stafford, Nigel Parton, Sharon Vincent, and Connie Smith, Child Protection Systems in the United Kingdom: A comparative analysis, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined the potential for a national innovation fund in Wales to stimulate local action to reduce health inequalities. National funds could be a useful lever for change if appropriately conceived, designed, and implemented: but in the context of competing healthcare and other policy priorities, 'good practice' was often difficult to achieve, and somewhat simplistic incentives were often subverted locally, diluting the original purpose of the initiative.
Source: Marcus Longley, Mark Llewellyn, Tony Beddow, David Cohen, Jeremy Corson, and Morton Warner, 'A national health inequalities fund for Wales: concept, design and implementation', Health Policy, Volume 103 Issues 2-3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
The Welsh Government began consultation on proposals to introduce an 'opt-out' system of organ donation, backed by a comprehensive communication programme.
Source: Proposals for Legislation on Organ and Tissue Donation: A Welsh Government White Paper, Welsh Government
Links: Consultation document | Welsh Government press release | BHA press release | BMA press release | Plaid Cymru press release | BBC report
Date: 2011-Nov
The Welsh Government published a new 5-year plan for the National Health Service, based around an emphasis on community services and placing prevention, quality, and transparency at the heart of healthcare. Doctors, nurses, and other health professionals would be brought together to form 'clinical networks' aimed at treating more patients in the community. At the same time 'centres of excellence' would be created to make sure that patients had quick and easy access to specialist care.
Source: Together for Health: A five year vision for the NHS in Wales, Welsh Government
Links: Plan | Welsh Government press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Nov
A joint inspectorate report said that local safeguarding children boards were not demonstrating effectively how they were improving outcomes for children and young people in Wales. The boards lacked focus on improving outcomes for children, and were not fulfilling their statutory responsibilities.
Source: Joint Inspection of Local Safeguarding Children Boards 2011: Overview, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (with four other inspectorates)
Links: Report | Inspectorate press release | BBC report | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Oct
The children's rights watchdog in Wales highlighted the 'inconsistent support' and lack of accurate information available to vulnerable young people in care as they started planning for their move into independent living.
Source: Lost After Care, Children's Commissioner for Wales
Links: Report | CCW press release | BBC report
Date: 2011-Jul
A paper examined the links between informal care provision and labour market activity at sub-national level (focusing on Wales). Despite the wide variations in informal care provision, labour market outcomes did not differ markedly by different care categories across spatial areas within England and Wales. However, labour market outcomes for males as well as females were heavily influenced for those who provided high levels of caring.
Source: Stephen Drinkwater, Informal Caring and Labour Market Outcomes Within England and Wales, Working Paper 4, Wales Institute for Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (Cardiff University)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jul
An audit report in Wales said that since 2005, there had been 'important improvements' in adult mental health services in many parts of Wales: but progress had been variable, and some service gaps and inequalities remained.
Source: Adult Mental Health Services: Follow Up Report, Wales Audit Office
Links: Report | WAO press release | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Jul
A commission report made recommendations designed to maintain and enhance the National Health Service in Wales as a 'values-based' service true to its founding principles. As the NHS in Wales followed a path that increasingly diverged from healthcare provision in many other European countries, the moral principles underlying collective, planned provision needed to be renewed and rearticulated, emphasizing that in a world of increasing competition the NHS was an organization that served the needs of the people and sought to redress social inequities.
Source: Bevan Commission, 2008-2011 NHS Wales: Forging a Better Future, Welsh Assembly Government
Links: Report | Cardiff University press release
Date: 2011-Jun
Researchers examined the network of 'healthy school' schemes in Wales. A practical strategy statement was required to clarify the role of the education service across Wales in relation to reducing inequalities in health.
Source: Heather Rothwell et al., Review of the Welsh Network of Healthy School Schemes, 2007-2008, Working Paper 138, School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Apr
A report said that poor housing cost the National Health Service in Wales around £67 million per year.
Source: Maggie Davidson, Simon Nicol, Mike Roys, and Adele Beaumont, The Cost of Poor Housing in Wales, Shelter Cymru and Building Research Establishment (BRE) Trust
Links: Summary | Shelter press release
Date: 2011-Apr
The Welsh Assembly Government published an action plan designed to promote its public health objectives, including: giving every child a healthy start; developing health assets in communities; improving health literacy; and making health and social services more equitable.
Source: Fairer Health Outcomes For All: Moving the agenda forward, Welsh Assembly Government
Links: Action plan | WAG press release
Date: 2011-Mar
The older people's watchdog for Wales said that the treatment of some older people in hospital was 'shamefully inadequate'.
Source: Dignified Care? The experiences of older people in hospital in Wales, Older People s Commission for Wales
Links: Report | OPCW press release | BBC report
Date: 2011-Mar
The Welsh Assembly Government announced that people in Wales who received homecare and other non-residential social services would pay a maximum charge of £50 per week for these services from 11 April 2011.
Source: Press release 25 March 2011, Welsh Assembly Government
Links: WAG press release | WLGA press release | BBC report | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Mar
A study estimated that the cost of excessive alcohol consumption to the Welsh National Health Service was between £69.9 million and £73.3 million; and that the cost of obesity was around £73 million..
Source: Ceri Phillips, Christie Harper, Jaynie Rance, and Angela Farr, Assessing the Costs to the NHS Associated with Alcohol and Obesity in Wales, Welsh Assembly Government
Links: Report | WAG press release | BBC report
Date: 2011-Mar
The Welsh Assembly Government responded to a report by an Assembly Committee on parenting support in Wales.
Source: Response by the Welsh Assembly Government to the Report of the Children and Young People Committee: Parenting in Wales – The Delivery of the Parenting Action Plan, Welsh Assembly Government
Links: Response
Notes: Report (January 2011)
Date: 2011-Mar
The Welsh Assembly Government published a framework for the future of social services and social care. The plans included: portable assessments, allowing people to move location without having to have their needs reassessed; a national 'outline contract' for care homes to improve consistency of services; and a National Adoption Agency to improve rates of successful adoptions.
Source: Sustainable Social Services for Wales: A framework for action, Welsh Assembly Government
Links: Framework | WAG press release | Adoption UK press release | BASW press release | CCW press release | CFW press release | WLGA press release | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Feb
A report by a committee of the National Assembly for Wales said that parenting support services should be easily accessible across Wales. It recommended that the Welsh Government appoint local 'parenting champions' to ensure that services were as joined up as possible and that parents had access to the information and services that they required.
Source: Follow Up Inquiry Into Parenting in Wales and the Delivery of the Parenting Action Plan, Children and Young People Committee, National Assembly for Wales
Links: Report | NAW press release
Date: 2011-Jan
