Press release: Welsh NHS Confederation gives strong support to Wanles report recommendations on health and social care

13 Nov 2003

The Welsh NHS Confederation, which represents all the trusts and Local Health Boards in Wales, today gave overwhelming support to the recommendations of the Review of Health and Social Care, advised by Derek Wanless. 
Mr Wanless is speaking today in Cardiff at "Connecting the Jigsaw", the annual conference of the Welsh NHS Confederation, which brings together around 200 senior figures from across health and social care in Wales.  He is also giving evidence today on his report to the National Assembly Health and Social Services Committee.
Welsh NHS Confederation Director Richard Thomas said:
"We asked our members about the Wanless recommendations and the very clear message was that they supported them.   If we are to make the improvements to patient care that we all want to see, we will need to find new and better ways of providing services.   This shift towards new ways of delivering care will be a challenge for all of us, NHS staff, politicians and the public.   But it is absolutely vital that we succeed as the conclusion from the Wanless report was clear - "the present position is unsustainable".
He continued:
"We are calling on the Welsh Assembly Government, in implementing the recommendations, to be clear, co-ordinated and courageous 

• Clear - about the blueprint for the NHS we are working towards
• Co-ordinated - joining up Wanless with other initiatives under way
• Courageous - making changes which will help shape a modern, safe NHS of which Wales can be proud"