First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones has prioritised mentalhealth in his Government’s five year plan, ‘Taking Wales Forward’. Among theWelsh Government’s key commitments are to “prioritise mental healthtreatment, support, prevention and de-escalation, and increase access totalking therapies”.
Announcing the five year plan Carwyn Jones said: “Myvision of government is simple – enabling people to live healthy and fulfilledlives and make the most of every opportunity, and supporting them when help isneeded most.”
Other healthcare priorities included the following:-
- Improving our healthcare services: continuing to improve access to GP surgeries, making it easier to get an appointment, as well as Increase investment in facilities to reduce waiting times and exploit digital technologies to help speed up the diagnosis of illness.
- Introducing a new treatment fund to give people in Wales fast access to new and innovative treatments and work to end the post-code lottery for drugs and treatments not routinely available on the NHS;
- Investing in our healthcare staff by taking action to attract and train more GPs, nurses and other health professionals across Wales and ensure more nurses, in more settings, through an extended nurse staffing levels law.
- Care and older people: More than double the capital people can keep when entering residential care to £50,000.