Welsh Conservatives today pledged to focus on the causes of ill-health in an overhaul of the Assembly Government’s Health and Social Services Department.
Under Welsh Conservative plans a Deputy Minister for Public Health would lead a co-ordinated response to time bombs which threaten to cost lives and the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds in years and decades to come.
The Deputy Minister would be responsible for joining up policy areas currently residing in other portfolios, which could play a key role in combatting obesity, binge drinking, drug culture, smoking and low exercise rates.
Evidence shows that Welsh lifestyles threaten to burden the NHS with rapidly increasing diagnoses of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other potentially debilitating conditions.
A fifth of children in Wales are now obese, 45% of the population is drinking at hazardous levels, while the death toll from tobacco stands at 5,500 every year.
Welsh Conservatives made the announcement today as part of a series of key policy commitments unveiled at Breast Cancer Care in Cardiff.
Welsh Conservatives would:
- Ringfence the health budget in line with inflation for the next four years
- Increase investment for stroke services by £6million and hospices by £8million
- Appoint a ‘Cancer Co-ordinator’ for Wales to implement a robust National Cancer Plan
- Appoint a Deputy Minister for Public Health to focus on improving the health of the nation by co-ordinating cross-cutting portfolios
- Examine incorporating social care for adults into Local Health Boards to make services more accessible
Speaking at the launch, Shadow Minister for Health and Social Services, Andrew RT Davies AM said: “For years the attitude of government towards health has been to treat the symptoms of ill-health rather the causes.
“What we are proposing is a revolution in attitudes towards healthcare by creating a joined-up and co-ordinated effort to tackle the deep-rooted origins of ill-health.
“This means expanding and improving screening campaigns and effectively funding awareness campaigns of killer diseases. We would also incorporate other key aspects of ill-health prevention such as improving training for teachers to deliver safe sex education and measures to make it easier for people to take part in physical activity.
“We are proposing to look at incorporating the provision of social care for adults into the health budget; a move that will enable people to access services more easily.
“By ringfencing the health budget and eliminating waste that has already been identified but not tackled by the current Health Minister, we can ensure a well-funded and concerted attempt to tackle the long-term health problems facing the nation.
“We have also pledged to increase funding for dedicated stroke units and increasing funding for hospices, which are seriously underfunded compared to those in England.”
Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the National Assembly, Nick Bourne AM said: “The Labour-Plaid Assembly Government’s approach to healthcare has been piecemeal and focussed on freebies and gimmicks such as free toothbrushes and free hospital parking.
“Labour-Plaid is now slashing the health budget by £1billion. With ‘scandalously bad’ stroke services, the worst ambulance response times in the UK and soaring diabetes rates, Wales cannot afford not to protect NHS spending.
“These proposals would make a significant difference to the health of the people of Wales by establishing a joined up strategy to tackle the threats of our time, such as diabetes, obesity, alcohol and drug abuse.
“Only by tackling the root causes of ill-health, protecting NHS spending and ensuring that every penny is directed at improving the health of patients can we ensure that Wales becomes a healthier nation.”
