Health & Social Care

The NHS is one of the public’s top priorities. Each year about one in three people attends hospital as an outpatient, one in five attends accident and emergency and one in ten is an inpatient.

Why it matters

The NHS faces many challenges, including those from an ageing population, the rise in long-term conditions such as obesity and dementia and a squeeze on public spending. The NHS accounts for 43% of the Welsh Government budget – £6.7 billion.

What we are doing

Bevan Prize for Health and Well-being

The Bevan Prize for Health and Well-being recognises individuals and organisations whose work upholds the founding principles of the NHS – free at the point of delivery and accessible to all.

Improving specialist care for terminally ill patients

Every year 30,000 people in Wales die, many of whom would benefit from palliative care. Working with Marie Curie Cancer Care Wales we have identified ways of improving care for people who are terminally ill as well as saving 1 million hospital bed days.

Better help to quit smoking

Smoking is a leading cause of premature death – new ways of reaching and treating smokers are urgently needed. Our work with Pfizer Ltd. Identified ways in which services to help smokers to quit could better meet the needs of smokers on low incomes.