Wales/Cymru policy and public affairs update

The Advancing Healthcare Awards (AHA) Cymru are now open.

The deadline to nominate is Wednesday 8 July.

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It was fantastic to see OT winners from across Wales at last year’s event, showcasing their innovative solutions to the challenges faced by AHPs to senior NHS and local authority leaders and peers.

Find out more about the awards, how to apply and previous winners at ahaaward.co.uk/cymru 

Apply today

Following on from his visit to North Wales in March, Gary visited services in South Wales as part of his CEO listening tour.  

It was a pleasure to demonstrate just some of the incredible work being done by OTs and the impact you’re having on services and people’s lives.  

Carmarthenshire Department for Communities

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We started the day at the Carmarthenshire Department for Communities office, where we met OTs from paediatrics, housing and social care. Gary then experienced first-hand the work of the Carmarthenshire Integrated Immediate Care Service as an emergency call came in, and watched as the multidisciplinary team kicked into action – led by OT Emma Taylor.

Swansea Bay

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After meeting OTs from Swansea Bay Health Board, Swansea University and local authorities, we met with James Marsham, Carly Williams and Danielle Griffiths, who explained the benefits of their school engagement programme in collaboration with Swansea Bay UHB and Neath Port Talbot Council.

Cardiff

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Gary ended the day in Cardiff, at University Hospital Wales (UHW), where he went to see the work of OTs on a ward, OTs supporting patients to prevent admission from A&E and the team’s new management system – enabling them to prioritise cases and ensure that they maximise the impact of OT. 

Thank you to everyone who made these visits possible and for the incredible work you’re doing. We’re following up with services to make sure that we promote these and other schemes as much as possible.

Meeting new MSs at the Senedd’s Y Farchnad

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We were able to secure a stall at the first Y Farchnad of the Seventh Senedd.

This event sees around 15 different organisations on market stalls in the Senedd, promoting their organisations to Members of the Senedd (MSs).

Thank you to Amanda Atkinson for bringing along activities for the MSs to do – building an understanding of what it’s like for a young person to struggle with their coordination. Amanda was then able to explain the impact this has on their learning, and the interventions OTs can do to support their development.  

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Events like this are incredibly important to demonstrate what occupational therapy is all about and why it matters. It was very useful to meet some of the 68 new MSs as they start their time in office. 

The new First Minister, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, has appointed his cabinet. Mabon ap Gwynfor MS is the new Cabinet Minister for Health and Care.

We’ve been working closely with Mabon when he was the Plaid Cymru shadow health minister – raising issues such as the cuts to AHP training places and the recruitment of a Welsh Chief AHP Officer. 

Mabon is supported by two deputy ministers – Nerys Evans, public and preventative health and Delyth Jewell, social care, mental health and women’s health.

The new portfolio, specifically on preventative health, is great news for us as it means that the government now has a champion for prevention and early intervention around the cabinet table.  

As part of the election, the government released their plans for their first 100 days in office. A number of these relate to primary and community care and involve the work of OTs. 

Crucially, our CEO has written to the health minister highlighting the experience we have that would support their plans for a pilot on their wrap-around Community Schools plus programme and increasing health board spending by 0.5% each year on primary care. 

Maximising Your Referral to Care & Repair Cymru

Nearly 100 OTs have signed up to hear from Care & Repair on what services they offer and how to get the support people need.

We’ll be joined by Faye Patton, Head of Policy and Insights and other Care & Repair Cymru colleagues on how you can refer patients to them and how they work to ensure people get the support they need quickly.

The webinar is from 12–1pm, Wednesday 15 July (online)  

Sign up for the event