As NHS Wales braces for a new generation of pressures from older and sicker patients, health minister, Eluned Morgan, has called on people to play their role in the future of the country’s healthcare system.
With nearly a fifth of Wales’ population set to be aged 70 or over in the next 15 years, the Welsh Government expects that 22% more people will have diabetes. The number of people with four or more long-term conditions is also anticipated to double.
“As we look towards the future, we must protect the fundamental principles upon which our NHS was created whilst understanding that we will all need to rise to the challenges that lie ahead,” said Morgan.
The state of the NHS in 10+ years will be at the centre of a debate in the Welsh Parliament today, where Morgan will respond to a report from the country’s chief scientific adviser for health which explored the pressures the health service will likely face over the next 10-25 years.
Responding to the call, Darren Hughes, the director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said: “It’s not an option to continue on the current trajectory. We need an open and honest conversation with the public about what the future health and care service looks like and the part we must all play in our own health and wellbeing.”
He continued: “This is not just a conversation about the NHS and health, but a conversation about what every individual, organisation, sector and government department can do to improve our chances of living healthier lives and to meet the needs of future generations.”
This comes just a month after more than 30 organisations backed the Welsh NHS Confederation’s call for a national conversation into the future of Wales’ health and care system.
Morgan has urged people to take part in a survey from the Bevan Commission – a leading Welsh health think tank – to have their say on the future of NHS Wales.
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