Extra funding to help take the pressure off the health service in Wales has been welcomed by the Health Minister Edwina Hart.
The £110million will enable more care to be delivered closer to people’s homes, ease demand on hospital treatment and help the NHS as it comes under added winter pressures to deliver key frontline services.
Health Minister Edwina Hart said:
“I am delighted to welcome this funding which comes at a crucial time of year for the health service. The NHS has saved £850million in the past four years, demonstrating it can become more efficient while maintaining high standards of patient care.
“This includes the average length of stay in hospital being reduced, fewer cancelled operations, improved care and support for people with chronic conditions resulting in reduced numbers of emergency hospital admissions, and NHS reforms removing transaction costs from the former market-based system.
“But the needs of patients are demand-led and this funding is a welcome boost to build on the efficiencies in the health service. While we face the biggest financial challenge since the advent of devolution my priority is to protect frontline services in health and social services.”
Mrs Hart welcomed the funding with a visit to an elderly care assessment unit at Barry Community Hospital. The hospital provides community services more locally for patients which helps ease pressures on surgical beds at larger hospitals, helping tackle waiting times.
The funding has been allocated from Welsh Assembly Government from our in year reserves for 2010/11. A further £25million will help pressures in student finances, which has been caused by an increase in the number of student in 2009/10 and 2010/11 in addition to a rise in the number of students eligible for means-tested grants.
