The Bevan Commission, supported by Welsh Government, have announced the launch of its second "Adopt, Spread and Embed" programme.
Building on the success of the initial programme trialled in 2020, the initiative is designed to take proven, locally developed healthcare innovations and systematically roll them out across NHS Wales. This programme aims to transform planned care services, significantly reduce waiting lists, enhance patient outcomes, and deliver better value throughout Wales.
For the past two years, the Bevan Commission has supported several projects within individual Health Boards. Following rigorous scrutiny and assessment, seven Bevan Exemplar projects have been selected for their demonstrable success in improving care quality, efficiency, and patient experience, making them prime candidates for wider adoption.
These initiatives cover a diverse range of clinical needs, from establishing specialised Perioperative Care of Older People Undergoing Surgery (POPS) services, improving radiology pathway navigation to speed up diagnostics, to enhanced community-based gynaecology services that bring care closer to home. Each project has already delivered tangible benefits, such as optimised diagnostic timelines, reduced waiting lists, significant cost savings, and improved capacity within the health service.
The "Adopt, Spread and Embed" programme is a direct and practical response to the Welsh Government’s Innovation strategy for Wales, launched in February 2023, which calls for the translation of innovative ideas into impactful, system-wide improvements. This initiative embodies that vision by fostering a culture where successful local solutions become standard practice across Wales.
Importantly, the programme aligns with and will actively contribute to the five key "change" priorities for the health service, as outlined by the First Minister, Eluned Morgan, and reiterated in the vision for the future of NHS Wales by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Miles (as per his NHS Confederation speech on 8 April 2025).
The "Adopt, Spread and Embed" programme will support these priorities by:
- Focussing more on prevention: Innovative services like the Welsh Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) model are designed to identify and treat patients at risk of osteoporotic fractures, preventing future incidents and reducing long-term health burdens.
- Shifting to primary and community services: The Enhanced Community Gynaecology Service in Hywel Dda University Health Board exemplifies this, moving diagnostics and treatment out of acute hospitals and into local settings, making care more accessible.
- Developing a digital NHS: The Perioperative Care of Older People Undergoing Surgery Service in Elective General Surgery (POPS) incorporates a digital tool to help screen patients waiting for general elective surgery for frailty, supporting the drive for a more digitally enabled health service.
- Shifting to regional working: The core principle of "Adopt, Spread and Embed" is to share best practice and standardise effective models across Health Board boundaries, promoting greater regional collaboration and consistency of care.
- Improving leadership and developing the NHS workforce: The programme will improve staff in new methodologies, encourage the sharing of expertise, and develop leadership in innovation adoption, thereby building a more resilient and adaptable NHS workforce.
Helen Howson, Director of the Bevan Commission, said:
"For too long, brilliant innovations developed locally have remained isolated pockets of excellence. Our 'Adopt, Spread and Embed' programme is about changing that by systematically taking what works best and making it available to everyone in Wales. We have seen the profound positive impact these projects have on patients, staff, and NHS resources. Now, it is time to ensure these benefits are felt right across the country. This is about delivering more prudent, value-based healthcare that is both sustainable and equitable."
The Bevan Commission will now work closely with all Health Boards in Wales and the NHS Planned Care team to support the implementation of these Exemplar projects. Drawing on international adoption science, the programme will provide a robust methodology and framework to help embed these innovations effectively, fostering a sustainable culture of improvement that benefits all patients and staff across Wales.
