National strategy Designed for Life is the Welsh Assembly Government’s 10-year vision for creating world-class health and social care in Wales in the 21st century. Published 2005. Click here.
One of the priorities is chronic conditions (the Welsh term for chronic disease/long term conditions). It uses a generic model, similar to the English triangle model with 4 levels: the largest level being the healthy population. The seven Local Health Boards are accountable for financial and quality performance, and clinicians and health boards must work collaboratively - there is no market for healthcare in the NHS in Wales. The Welsh Assembly published A Profile of Long-term and Chronic Conditions in Wales. THis reveals that
- For treated chronic conditions in Wales, the most commonly reported by adults is arthritis (14% of the population aged 16 and over) followed by respiratory conditions (13%) and chronic heart conditions (9%).
- Of people aged over 65 in Wales, 34% reported being treated for arthritis, 21% for a respiratory illness and 30% for a heart condition.
Welsh CMO's Fourth Annual Public Health Report (October 2010) The CMO for Wales says that despite the budget restrictions, clinicians had the power to ensure a sustainable healthcare system which offered high quality care to patients. The report notes that overall health in Wales is continuing to improve, with people living longer and a reduction in heart-related deaths and to a lesser extent cancer-related deaths, but concludes there is more still to be done.
Respiratory: One of the priorities is respiratory care. There are Service Development and Commissioning Directives: Chronic Respiratory Conditions published October 2007. Click here. An action plan is being produced.
End of life care: All Wales Care Pathway for the Last Days of Life Click here.
Smoking: Policy pages of Welsh government. Smoking in Wales: Current Facts and Smoking Ban.
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