Hywel Dda Health Board publishes annual plan

Hywel Dda Health Board has published its annual plan for 2013/14.

The core aim is the provision of 80 per cent of NHS services locally.

This plan will support the production of the three-year plan to be published later this year.
The annual plan sets out progress made in the last year, high level objectives for the year ahead and how the health board will respond to the key challenges ahead. It is an integrated plan – meaning it sets out service plans in terms of workforce, finance, capital and other service plans.
Executive Director for Planning, Strategic Integration/ Therapies and Health Science Kathryn Davies and Director of Clinical Services Dr Philip Kloer presented the plan, which is available on the health board’s website (http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/documents/862/AQSFinal201213sdm1.pdf), in the latest health board meeting.
Dr Kloer said: “Our vision is quite simple – to provide 80 per cent of NHS services locally, through primary, community and social care teams working together. We will provide this care either at home or close to home, within the community. This will support care for frail and older people, whilst allowing our hospitals to concentrate on what they do best – providing both planned and urgent care when it is needed.”
The objectives for the coming year are to:

• improve health and well-being for all 
• move from a sickness service to a wellness service 
• deliver quality healthcare in the most appropriate setting 
• have high quality, safe and sustainable hospital services that meet the needs of our population 
• be recognised as Wales’ leading integrated rural health and social care system 
• implement the Population Health Programme 

Ms Davies added: “For the past three years we have been talking to our health care professionals, our partners and the public about the future of our healthcare services. To re-design health services and ensure better outcomes for patients and the general public, we have now set up 10 clinically led population health groups to help deliver on our vision.”
Some key activities planned for this year, are:

• implement the mental health and well-being strategy 
• launch the clinically led population health programme 
• deliver more care closer to home 
• deliver on our consultation outcomes 
• deliver workforce and organisational development strategy 
• launch a leadership/improvement academy 
• contain costs through our resource plans 

Some interesting data that the service plans need to address.

Did you know that . . .

• if current trends continue, the number of persons aged 65 and over resident in Hywel Dda Health Board will increase by 67 per cent between 2008 and 2033 
• up to 40 per cent of patients in our hospitals are staying too long and receiving a level of care that is greater than they need, often because our community services are unable to provide the right care, at the right time in a local setting 
• in our area, nearly six out of 10 adults are overweight or obese; one in four adults smoke, leading to more than 700 deaths a year; around 6,300 hospital admissions annually are caused by alcohol; around 200 patients are admitted to hospital because of drug misuse; only around two in five people eat the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables; and only a third of the population meet physical activity guidelines 
• in our area, a higher percentage of adults reported having a limiting long term illness in comparison to Wales and in Carmarthenshire, almost three in 10 adults report a limiting long term illness 
• 22 areas within our health board (10 per cent of our population) are amongst the most deprived fifth in Wales; alternately, 11 areas (five per cent of our population) are in the least deprived fifth.