Welsh Labour Manifesto and the first 100 Days – May 2016
Welsh Labour Commitments in their Election Manifesto 2016
In the election campaign the Welsh Labour Party published their manifesto which made the following pledges in relation to Health and Social Care:
- We will see that the contract between people and the NHS is one of mutual respect, where we are all active partners
- The OECD recognises that the quality of care lies at the heart of our Welsh NHS. But we will go further. We will consult on the potential for a statutory duty of candour to further promote a culture of openness in our health and care system
- We will continue to invest more money per person in health and social care in Wales than is being invested in England
- We will complete the review of the functions of Health Inspectorate Wales and Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales to support integration
- We will introduce a ground-breaking New Treatment Fund, enabling the most advance drugs and high cost treatments for cancer and other life threatening illnesses to be available in Wales first
- We will cut waiting times further by eliminating unnecessary attendance at hospitals and GP surgeries, whilst also reminding patients of their rights and responsibilities as partners of the Welsh NHS
- In Wales we recognise the value of Community Pharmacies and will invest in their capacity to deal with minor ailments as one way of managing pressure on GP surgeries and our health system generally
- We want everyone in Wales to be physically active and to live, work and play in environments that help, not hinder, regular physical activity. Being more active as a nation will help us to tackle conditions such as obesity and improve our quality of life in later years. It will also help develop resilience against mental illness
- Schools, employers, communities and third sector organisations that are supported by government will be challenged to encourage and empower people to be more active
- We will introduce a new ‘Wales Wellbeing bond’ that invests in the best groups and activities for reducing sedentary lifestyles, poor nutrition and excessive consumption of alcohol
- Mental Health treatment, support and prevention services will be prioritised with greater access to ‘talking therapies’ at earlier stages in order to help people cope with emotional challenges. We will continue working to end the stigma of mental illness and work with schools, employers and other partners to improve wellbeing at work, in education and in our communities
- We will take further action to make Wales a ‘Dementia Friendly’ country
- We are spending more per head on cancer treatment than England but recognise the ongoing need to keep improving diagnostic rates and outcomes for the people of Wales whilst learning from the best in Europe
- We will resist attempts by the UK Government to transfer Attendance Allowance to the Welsh Government and instead fight hard to protect it at its current rate
- We will make social care a sector of national strategic importance by investing in the development of the social care workforce to help complete the journey towards integrated health and social care
- We will invest in a new generation of integrated health and social services centres – alongside the transformation of our hospital estate
- Further action on limiting zero hours contracts in social care and working with the sector to raise the prestige of the profession
- More investment in facilities to reduce waiting times and exploit digital technologies to help speed up the diagnosis of illness
- Action to attract more GPs to Wales and encourage more doctors to train in Wales
- Better access to GP surgeries making it easier to get an appointment
- Plans to develop a nationwide and cross-government strategy to address loneliness and isolation
- Quality of Care at the centre of our agenda and work to prevent industrial action by respecting NHS Staff in Wales
- We will more than double the capital you can keep when entering residential care to £50,000
- We will retain free prescriptions, bus passes and other important benefits for people in retirement
First Minister’s Announcement on the Welsh Government’s Plans for the first 100 days
Carwyn Jones has been re-elected as First Minister and will now form a Labour Minority Government after Plaid Cymru withdrew the nomination of their leader Leanne Wood as First Minister.
Labour and Plaid have delivered a ‘compact’ which will see Plaid have full consultation on Budgets and Legislation in order to be able to agree these with the Labour Party.
Plaid Cymru will, however, continue as the official opposition – there is no coalition between the two parties.
The First Minister set out his priorities for the first 100 days:
- Working to protect the Steel Industry and their work with Tata Steel
- Working with partners on the ‘Remain’ vote for the EU referendum
- No legislation in the first 100 days to allow the Assembly to develop its scrutiny structures, committees etc…
- Bringing forward a Public Health Bill
- Bringing forward an Additional Learning Needs Bill
- Bringing forward a ‘Defence against reasonable punishment’ Bill
- Making amendments to the Welsh Language Bill
- Ending the deadlock over the Westminster ‘Wales Bill’ and devolution of more powers to the National Assembly
- Undertaking a ‘parliamentary review’ of the future of health and social care in Wales
- Setting up a cabinet office group to oversee delivery plans for Welsh Labour’s top 6 pledges
The First Minister outlined what the ‘compact’ with Plaid Cymru entails:
- Creating three ‘liaison committees’ with Ministers and key Plaid Cymru AMs for 1) Finance 2) Legislation and 3) The Constitution. These will be supported by civil servants
- Work together on the ‘Remain’ campaign for the European Referendum
- Joint policy agreements to deliver:
- 30 hours free child care
- 100,000 new apprenticeships
- A new ‘Infrastructure Commission’
- An £80m treatment fund for the NHS
- More GPs and other primary care professionals across Wales
Over the coming weeks the Welsh Government will be developing a more detailed ‘Programme for Government’ which will provide further detail on the key policy pledge areas. Ministers will then begin the task of prioritising their portfolio work programmes.
A priority for the new Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport will be the Public Health (Wales) Bill. Also, a priority will be dealing with the continued pressure on primary care in Wales and rising waiting times.
Over at the department for education, the new Cabinet Secretary for Education will be looking to take forward the Additional Learning Needs (Wales) Bill – of interest to CSP Members working with children and young people.
Philippa Ford
SHA Cymru Wales Treasurer
May 2016