Bevan Commission to host Spring Summit as Wales faces "turning point" for health and care

The Summit, aptly themed "The Turning Point: Uniting for the Future of Health and Care in Wales," promises to be more than just a talking shop. The Bevan Commission aims to create a catalyst for real change to be prepared for a decade on, engaging the support of leaders, professionals, and changemakers from across health, social care, government, industry, academia, and the third sector.

"We are at a point where incremental changes simply won't cut it," says Dr Helen Howson, Director of the Bevan Commission. "The challenges facing our health and care system are immense, and we need a shared vision and a commitment to collaborative action now if we are going to build a system fit for future generations."

The Summit will build upon previous work of the Bevan Commission, including insights from “The Tipping Point: Where Next for Health and Care?” Conference held in 2023. Discussions will focus on addressing key issues:

• An Ageing Population- with one in four people in Wales over 65 come 2045, and the number of 90-plus-year-olds set to nearly double, finding ways to provide sustainable health and social care for our older citizens will be critical.
• Chronic and Complex Disease- addressing the fact that, in twenty years, one in five of us will be living with chronic conditions, and that 65% of those over 65 will likely be living with multiple complex disorders.
• Waiting Lists- exploring innovative approaches to tackle record-high and stubborn backlogs in our health and care systems.
• Health Inequalities- confronting the widening gap in health outcomes between the most and least deprived areas.

The summit boasts an impressive lineup of speakers who will share their insights and expertise:

• Jeremy Miles, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, will provide a political perspective on the challenges and opportunities ahead.
• Professor Don Berwick KBE, a leading international expert on healthcare improvement, will offer an international challenge (via live feed) pushing Wales to think differently about the future.
• Bevan Commissioners including Nygaire Bevan, Professors Kamila Hawthorne, George Crooks and Dame Sue Bailey, will explore innovative models of care and opportunities for integration, drawing upon experiences from other areas.
• Leaders from different sectors of society including Hugh Russell, CEO of Children in Wales, Professor Kelechi Nnoaham, Head of Health Programmes Development at Shell International, Rhian Bowen-Davies, Older People's Commissioner for Wales, and Derek Walker, Future Generations Commissioner who will give their perspectives on challenges and opportunities.
• Leaders from our key organisations including Jonathan Morgan, Chair of NHS Confederation and Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, Cllr Charlie McCoubrey, Leader of Conwy CBC and WLGA Social Care Lead, Dr Lindsay Cordery Bruce, CEO of Welsh Local Government Association, Russell Greenslade, Wales Director, CBI and Professor Medwin Hughes, Chair of Llais Cymru (People’s Voice).

Interactive sessions will encourage participants to challenge the status quo, discuss and identify key priorities for transformation, and commit to concrete actions. The Summit will also focus on "Turning vision into action - identifying how this transformation will be achieved by working together with all partners."

The Bevan Commission expects the Summit will lay the foundations upon which a "Wales-wide consensus for future health and care’’ can be built - through a collaborative approach, a clear set of leadership commitments and shared accountability will be identified to help drive meaningful change.

"This is a call to all of us, individually and collectively, across sectors, to join forces," Dr. Helen Howson added. "We need to pledge our collective energy and talents to make Wales a healthier, stronger, and more resourceful nation, showing others the way once again, where health and care stand as pillars of our shared success."

For more information, please contact l.a.blake@swansea.ac.uk.