B6: Focus on Wales – A small nation’s experience


Thursday 22 May 2025 | 13:15-14:30


Format: Workshop


Stream: People


Content filters: n/a


PART ONE: Leading, transforming and co-producing a national health improvement programme for people with a learning disability


This is a session that will share a challenging and as-yet incomplete real-life journey of a very unique national programme. Evidence suggests that individuals with a learning disability experience significantly worse healthcare outcomes than you or I, they are at higher risk of experiencing adverse events within healthcare settings including death. Commissioned by the government to address these health inequalities, this session will recount the journey from a lone practitioner on short term funding, to a substantive and substantial national improvement programme specifically charged to improve equity of outcomes for people with a learning disability living in Wales.


In this session, participants will:



  • Describe the patient safety issues experienced by people with a learning disability

  • Appreciate the value of transparency in leadership

  • Develop transferable confidence in using creative solutions to challenges


Rachel Jones NHS Wales Executive; Wales


 


PART TWO: A vision for All: Co-producing the future of learning disability services for children and young people in Wales


Join us on an inspiring journey as we explore collaborative efforts across the public sector to create a national vision for children and young people with a learning disability in Wales. This session will highlight the crucial partnership work across health, education, and social care to illustrate how diverse stakeholders can come together to create a vision for more holistic, inclusive, and collaborative environments where every child is empowered to flourish and achieve their full potential. Participants will gain valuable insights into the innovative approaches and methodologies employed to ensure that the voices of children, young people, families, carers, and professionals remain central to our efforts. Through discussion and activities, we will highlight the challenges encountered, the milestones achieved, and the tools used to challenge siloed approaches, paving the way for a shared commitment to transforming the lives of children and young people in Wales.


In this session, participants will:



  • Consider the multifaceted nature of coproduction

  • Develop an understanding of the key principles of coproduction

  • Appreciate the benefits and challenges of co-production using a real-world example


Rebecca Curtis Improvement Cymru, NHS Executive; Wales


 


PART THREE: Building resilient and resourceful people and communities


Public health plays a pivotal role in enhancing resilience by actively involving people in their own well-being, illness prevention Services to help people ‘stay healthy at home’, self-management support, intergenerational and community based programmes and health skills education for people are very much needed. Health and care services will only become sustainable in the face of increasing life expectancy ( with chronic disease) and growing demand by recognising the importance of the environments in which we live and enhancing the wider social support opportunities( peer support networks) in promoting good health. We would like to share with you how we co-produce/co-design self-management interventions with patients and health care professionals. Also, how our quality assurance framework supports individuals who live with chronic conditions become facilitators of self-management interventions within their own communities across Wales. This supports them to share their own lived experience together with quality training and ongoing support. Please come along to hear more about how we’re working to achieve this in Wales, from both a patients and health care professionals’ perspective and how this could be a foundation for the future model of health and care services in Wales, UK.


In this session, participants will:



  • Understand the value of Self-management including Co-production and shared decision making

  • Understand the power of self-efficacy, empowerment and how self-management interventions can support health systems now and into the future. – Realisation of the possible solution to support the growing demand of chronic conditions in Wales ( 48% of adult population, National Survey )

  • Hear about our development of a new Self-Management course for Fibromyalgia patients that was co-produced with patients and HCP’s ( first available course for Fibromyalgia in Wales)


Alan Lawrie NHS Executive; Wales


Christina Roach NHS Executive; Wales


Jules Godden NHS Executive; Wales