Welsh NHS Confederation

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News

Citizen Engagement Learning Seminar this Thursday in St Asaph
10th January 2012
The third and final citizen engagement seminar takes place in St Asaph this Thursday, 12th January...Read more...

Series of Citizen Engagement Seminars kicks off today
23rd November 2011
The first in our series of three citizen engagement seminars, organised jointly with Participation Cymru and NLIAH, starts today in Cardiff...Read more...

Survey shows public pragmatic about change
10th November 2011
People in Wales say they don’t mind travelling for specialist services if it means the care will be of higher quality, says a survey commissioned by the Welsh NHS Confederation...Read more... 

The NHS is ready to meet the challenge
1st November 2011
The NHS is ready to meet the challenge set out in Together for Health, but nobody should be under any illusion about the scale of that challenge...Read more...

Why the NHS needs fewer beds
25th October 2011
Read our response featured in the Western Mail article on why bed numbers across the NHS are falling...Read more

Transformational change needed to bridge the funding gap
14th October 2011
Read the Welsh NHS Confederation's response to the Wales Audit Office Report, Picture of Public Services 2011....Read more...

 

Welsh NHS Confederation responds to draft budget announcements
4th October 2011
Helen Birtwhistle, Director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said: “The NHS in Wales welcomes...Read more...

The Welsh NHS Confederation has joined Twitter
16th September 2011
Follow our Twitter feed here

We are recruiting!
15th September 2011
We are seeking an ambitious and enthusiastic Policy and Public Affairs Officer to complement our small, but highly skilled, team...Read more...

Booking for our annual conference now open
Book your place today for our Annual Conference and Exhibition at Cardiff City Stadium, 9-10th November...Read more...

NHS urges politicians to support change in rural health services
20th July 2011
As thousands of people gather at this week’s Royal Welsh Show, the Welsh NHS Confederation urges politicians to support change in rural health services. Read more...

NHS puts dignity at the heart of caring for older people
15th June 2011
The NHS is committed to helping older people raise their expectations of hospital care.  That’s the message from the Welsh NHS Confederation as NHS bodies in Wales formally respond to the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales report, Dignified Care?  Read more...

New Director Appointed
28th January 2011
We are delighted to announce that Helen Birtwhistle has been appointed as the new Director of the Welsh NHS Confederation.  Read more...

We can only deliver a 21st century health service in Wales if our clinical staff rise to the challenge and lead the change says the Welsh NHS Confederation...
10th November 2010
The NHS has been engaged in discussions about clinical leadership for some time, but it is now crucial that this becomes a reality. Read more...

Conference kicks off
10th November 2010
The Welsh NHS Confederation Annual Conference kicks off today with a packed programme focused on chronic conditions management...Read more...

Welsh NHS Confederation responds to CSR
20th October 2010
Kate Watkins, Acting Director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, has responded to the CSR announcement today with a warning that substantial changes have to be made to the way NHS services are delivered to the meet the unprecedented financial challenge...Read more...

 

Welsh NHS Confederation contributes to BBC debate
12th October 2010
The Welsh NHS Confederation features tonight in a BBC debate ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review... Read more...

Are you a communications officer working for the NHS in Wales?
7th October 2010
This event is designed specifically for you.  Tower Media UK will be delivering a one-off event at the Welsh NHS Confederation offices in Bridgend on 1st November...Read more...

New speaker added to conference programme
13th July 2010
Dr John Merenich, of Kaiser Permanente, Colorado, will be speaking at our Annual Conference on the subject of clinical leadership...More information...

Details of Annual Conference announced
21st June 2010
The details of our Annual Conference 2010 have been announced and booking is now open...Read more... 

Friends or foes?  Engaging with politicians in Wales - Masterclass
16th June 2010
There is still time to register for the latest in our series of Masterclasses for board members.  Dr Brian Gibbons AM leads...Read more...

1000 Lives Campaign delivers safer patient care in Wales
21st April 2010
The 1000 Lives Campaign ends today after a successful two year drive to reduce harm and make patient care safer...Read more...

The Welsh NHS Confederation in the media
20th April 2010
Read our view on health in the general election in this online BBC Wales feature...Read more...

Masterclass series kicks off with successful event
20th April 2010
Our new series of Masterclasses kicked off yesterday with an informative and lively session with Simon Jose, General Manager for GSK in the UK...Read more...

Inaugural Masterclass
14th April 2010
There is still time to book your place for the first in a new series of early evening Masterclasses organised by the Welsh NHS Confederation, beginning this Monday, 19th April...Read more...

Mental health measure fact sheet
23rd March 2010
The Welsh Assembly Government has recently gained legislative competence in relation to mental health assessment, treatment and advocacy in Wales.  The Assembly Government has produced a fact sheet...Read more...

New series of summer Masterclasses announced
22nd March 2010
This summer the Welsh NHS Confederation, supported by GlaxoSmithKline, is holding a series of early evening masterclasses. Designed for the board members and directors of our member organisations, this varied programme of free events aims...Read more...

EVENT Mental health board development session
This is a crucial time for mental health services in Wales.  Two new board development sessions for independent and non-executive members aims to give participants an overview of... Read more

Introducing our Acting Director
17th March 2010
After the retirement of our Director, Mike Ponton, Kate Watkins is Acting Director...Read more

Farewell Mike
5th March 2010
After six successful years leading the Welsh NHS Confederation through a period of enormous change in NHS Wales, Mike Ponton retired as Director at the end of February... Read more

Hospital catering 
5th March 2010
The Wales Audit Office is looking to gather views from people who have been in hospital in the last twelve months as patients, about what they thought of the catering they received during their stay...More information...

Special Advisors
1st February
After recent changes to the Welsh Assembly Government cabinet, the way we work with special advisors is changing...Read more

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Farewell Mike

After six successful years leading the Welsh NHS Confederation through a period of enormous change in NHS Wales, Mike Ponton retired as Director at the end of February.

Mike has been instrumental in growing the profile and influence of the Confederation enormously during his time as Director, thanks to his vast knowledge and experience of the NHS in Wales, together with his ability to build relationships across the health and social care community.

Mike has also been a well-respected leader of the Welsh NHS Confederation team over the last six years, and he will be very much missed by all of us.

Mike is shortly due to enjoy a well-earned holiday in New Zealand to visit his son, before returning to take up his role as Senior Fellow at the Welsh Institute of Health and Social Care (WIHSC).  Mike will also continue his work with Age Concern Cymru.

We wish Mike a very long and happy retirement, and look forward to seeing him in the future through his new roles in the Welsh health and social care community.

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Mental health

 

 

Where are we going and what do we want to see?
Llandrindod Wells, March 30th, 2010 and April 27th, 2010

This is a crucial time for mental health services in Wales.  Everyone knows that services must improve, and every LHB in Wales has mental health as a priority at the highest level of their organisation.  These development sessions for independent and non-executive board members will give participants an overview of the make up of modern mental health services, and the aims and philosophies that drive them.

The full programme for these events is available here

To book a place at this event, please contact Sandra Cummings

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Introducing our Acting Director

After the retirement of our Director, Mike Ponton, at the end of February, Kate Watkins has taken on the role of Acting Director.  Kate is also continuing her role as Director of the Welsh Employers' Unit.  Kate brings a wealth of experience to the Confed, having previously held the role of chief executive of Newport Local Health Board for six years.  Read Kate's biography here.

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Mental health measure

The Welsh Assembly Government has recently gained legislative competence in relation to mental health assessment, treatment and advocacy in Wales.  The Assembly Government has produced a fact sheet providing information on the policy intentions of the Measure.  The fact sheet also explains how you can become involved in shaping the legislation, and how the Welsh Assembly Government intends that the legislation will be implemented.

Download the factsheet here:

English version

Welsh version

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Evening Masterclasses

There is still time to book your place for the first in a new series of early evening Masterclasses organised by the Welsh NHS Confederation, beginning this Monday, 19th April.

This series of informal events for chairs, chief executives and board members, begins with a session on leadership through organisational change with Simon Jose, General Manager and Senior Vice President of GlaxoSmithKline (UK).

The masterclass will be held at the Park Plaza Hotel, Greyfriars Road, Cardiff, this coming Monday 19th April, at 5-7pm.  This event is free of charge, and will include a light buffet supper.

Our guest speaker, Simon Jose, has a wealth of experience of successfully managing strategic change and is currently leading GSK through its major change programme. He will also be taking up the role of President of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry at the end of April 2010.

To book your place, please contact Tegan Williams on tegan.williams@welshconfed.org or contact 01656 643 800.

For details of further events in this series of early evening masterclasses, please see the flyer.

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Evening Masterclass off to a flying start

Leadership through Organisational Change, April 19th 2010, Park Plaza Hotel, Cardiff

Our new series of Masterclasses kicked off yesterday with an informative and lively session with Simon Jose, General Manager for GSK in the UK.  Simon shared his personal perspective on leadership through organisational change, speaking from his experience of leading a large-scale change programme in GlaxoSmithKline.

A lively discussion followed Simon's presentation during which a number of interesting topics were discussed, including the importance of continuous communication with staff and the visibility of leaders throughout the change process.

Photos of the event will be uploaded onto the website soon.

For details of further events in this series of early evening masterclasses, please see the flyer.

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Friends or foes?  Engaging with politicians in Wales - Masterclass

21st June 2010

There is still time to register for the latest in our series of Masterclasses for board members, to be held at the Park Plaza Hotel on 21st June 2010 at 5pm.

Dr Brian Gibbons AM leads what promises to be an evening of lively discussion on how to engage with politicians and the political process in Wales.  

A senior committee clerk will also explain the roles and workings of National Assembly Committees.

To register, please e-mail Sandra.Cummings@welshconfed.org

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Welsh Annual Conference 2010

Embracing the challenges - changing conditions
Cardiff City Hall, November 10-11th

The details of our Annual Conference 2010 have been announced and booking is now open.

Interest in chronic conditions management has grown considerably in the last five years, but has care improved? Has a focus on prevention worked? What have we learnt so far?

This conference draws on the expertise of leading international experts to prevent illness, improve services and find sustainable and affordable solutions for the future.

For more information, please see our conference pages.

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Welsh NHS Confederation and the CSR

 

October 12th 2010

The Welsh NHS Confederation features tonight in a BBC debate ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Acting Director, Kate Watkins will take part in the BBC Wales programme, Spending Review: The Wales Debate which airs at 10.35pm tonight.   We have worked closely with the BBC on the health section of the debate, by coordinating filming of a home care service for vulnerable patients in Ebbw Vale.  Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Jonathan Davies, has also been interviewed for the programme.

We have significantly increased our activity with the media in the run-up to the Comprehensive Spending Review.  In all our media work, we continually stress the key message that the NHS must reduce the unsupportable burden we currently place on our hospital services through better prevention of ill health and a community-based model of care.

We also submitted a “Viewpoints” column to BBC Wales Online news where we tackled the issue of hospital closures and explained why the traditional view of NHS hospitals has to change.

We worked with Radio Wales on their special health week in September. Kate Watkins gave an in-depth interview explaining the direction of travel, which gave us the opportunity to stress the importance of focusing on the service being delivered, not the building where it is provided.  We provided Radio Wales with examples of initiatives across Wales where services are reducing the burden on hospitals, securing coverage for:

• A rapid recovery scheme for orthopaedic patients in north Wales
• The Acute Response Team in Carmarthen
• The Monnow Vale Health and Social Care Facility in Monmouth which is promoting closer joint working between secondary and primary care, and social services.

Kate has also been interviewed by ITV Wales evening news as part of their CSR coverage.

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Rockies to the Rhondda Revisited

We can only deliver a 21st century health service in Wales if our clinical staff rise to the challenge and lead the change, says the new report by the Welsh NHS Confederation, Rockies to the Rhonnda Revisited: What has Wales learnt from the Kaiser Permanente approach to chronic disease management?

The report goes onto say:

" The NHS has been engaged in discussions about clinical leadership for some time, but it is now crucial that this becomes a reality. All of those working in the NHS want to do the best for their patients, but there will always be differences of opinion about how best to achieve this.

"It must be in the interests of both service users and staff for a mature debate about the shape of our future services takes place in a way that is both balanced and informed. Clinicians are able to see both the individual need and that of the wider population and are uniquely positioned, therefore, to be initiating and framing these discussions rather than, as sometimes has been the case, in contributing from the sidelines."

Read the report in full here:
Rockies to the Rhonnda Revisited: What has Wales learnt from the Kaiser approach to chronic disease management and where are we going next?

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New Director Appointed

We are delighted to announce that Helen Birtwhistle has been appointed as the new Director of the Welsh NHS Confederation.

As Director, Ms Birtwhistle will represent the NHS in Wales to the Welsh Assembly Government, the members of the National Assembly for Wales and the Department of Health and Social Services.  She is due to take up the post this spring.

Helen joins the Welsh NHS Confederation with an impressive background in health and communications.   She is currently managing director of the public relations consultancy Good Relations Wales, which provides strategic communications for clients including a range of healthcare providers.

Helen began her career in the NHS and was a hospital manager for South Glamorgan Health Authority in the mid 1980s, before moving into health journalism and then public relations, where she has worked for twenty years.   She has also recently been seconded as head of the 50-strong external communications team at the National Assembly for Wales.

Win Griffiths, Chair of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said:

“I am delighted to welcome Helen to the NHS Confederation on behalf of the NHS in Wales.  Helen is joining us at a very interesting time when there are a number of challenges facing the health service in Wales.  I am sure with her exceptional knowledge and experience she will provide a very valuable contribution to the future development of the NHS in Wales.” 
 
Ms Birtwhistle says: “I am passionate about the NHS, how it works, what it does, who it involves and the impact it has on every one of us. I relish the opportunity to represent the NHS in Wales and influence the creation of effective health and social care policy.” 

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NHS puts dignity at the heart of caring for older people

PRESS RELEASE
15th June 2011

The NHS is committed to helping older people raise their expectations of hospital care.

That’s the message from the Welsh NHS Confederation as NHS bodies in Wales formally respond to the report by the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Dignified Care?

The Welsh NHS Confederation, which represents all Local Health Boards and NHS Trusts in Wales, says its members are already putting the report’s recommendations into action.
   
Helen Birtwhistle, the Director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said:

“Caring for people with compassion and dignity goes right to the heart of what the NHS does. 

“The health service is there to make people feel better, and where care has actually done the opposite and made patients feel worse, that is simply unacceptable. 

“We know that the vast majority of all NHS staff want to do their best for their patients.  Sometimes though we all need reminding that simple steps can make a huge positive difference.  

“We support the message that older people must raise their expectations of the care they receive in our hospitals.  The NHS is clear in its response to the Commissioner that we are fully committed to meeting those raised expectations.”

In their responses, the seven Local Health Boards in Wales and Velindre NHS Trust describe how they are putting dignity and respect at the top of the boardroom agenda.

Examples of how the NHS is supporting its staff to improve hospital care include:

•    Appointing new specialist dementia nurses to train general ward staff in the care of older patients with dementia

•    Ward sisters being given the authority to select their own ward staff and manage their development

•    Making changes to ward layout to provide separate quiet rooms for private consultations

•    Using “dignity pegs” to ensure curtains remain closed during treatment

•    Running campaigns to recruit volunteer “befrienders” to spend time with patients and run errands for them

•    Talking to patients and recording their story of their hospital stay to gain more insight into the patient’s view of the care they have received

•    Creating mock-up rooms of new hospital wards and inviting older people to give their opinions on design and layout

•    Writing a “dignity charter” to display at the bedside so that every patient knows their right to expect dignified care

•    Giving each executive director on the board a specific, personal objective on dignity and respect

Ms Birtwhistle added:

“A lot of these initiatives are already happening on many of our hospital wards across Wales.  The challenge now is to make sure this high standard is applied everywhere.”

Ms Birtwhistle said the NHS wants to create a culture where patients feel comfortable to speak up if they feel their dignity and privacy is being compromised.
 
“Going into hospital can be a daunting experience and many patients feel very vulnerable, but we want to make sure patients have the confidence to challenge poor practice.

“With the progress being made by NHS organisations in Wales, we are confident that when the Older People’s Commissioner returns, many of the problems she witnessed will be gone for good.”

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Welsh NHS Confederation responds to draft budget

PRESS STATEMENT
4th October 2011

Helen Birtwhistle, Director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said:
“The NHS in Wales welcomes both today’s draft budget and the announcement by the Health Minister about further additional funding.

“The seven Health Boards and three NHS Trusts in Wales are already working hard to make sure that high quality, safe and cost-effective healthcare services are available to everyone. This money will help progress this work and will undoubtedly benefit patients.

“We must emphasise, however, that to continue to improve, the NHS needs to transform how services are delivered to patients – the status quo is simply not an option.”

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Transformational change needed