Challenges facing social care and the impact on the NHS in Wales

Abstract

With pressures across the health and care system being higher than ever before, leaders are examining what can be done to alleviate them – including improving patient flow. The Welsh NHS Confederation, the national membership body representing all the organisations that make up the NHS in Wales, surveyed 52 NHS leaders to examine the impact that the challenges facing social care is having on the NHS and, ultimately, on patients. The survey also explored leaders' views on the most effective way to move forward and ease system-wide pressures. The challenges in social care are longstanding and require immediate and sustained government action to support better integration. Steps are being taken to alleviate pressures, but these are not having a great enough impact to make a meaningful difference to patient flow, patient outcomes and wider system pressures at scale. Without an increase in long-term investment in social care from governments across the UK, the most vulnerable members of society will continue to experience worse outcomes.