Wales/Cymru policy and public affairs update

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It was a pleasure to attend the Advancing Healthcare Awards (AHA) Cymru last week and to see so many OTs winning awards. 

Llongyfarchiadau to:

• Helen Rowley
• Penelope Williams
• Sophie Arnold
• Sophie Reynolds
• Kirsty Thomas
• Janine Evans

...for success in their categories and to all the OTs who were nominated. It was a fantastic afternoon seeing so much OT innovation on display.  

What’s happening? 

RCOT is a member of the Allied Health Professions Federation (AHPF) Cymru. As part of AHPF Cymru we undertake activities to promote occupational therapy and the wider impact of AHPs to elected representatives, especially MSs and their staff.  

Why this matters to you? 

Being part of a wider multi-professional coalition enables us to work in partnership to promote occupational therapy, showcasing how AHPs as a whole can benefit patients and tackle the challenges in the Welsh NHS.   

What we’re doing: 

As part of AHPF Cymru we organised an event in the Senedd, showcasing what different AHPs do in a community setting.  

We were delighted that Rachel Thomas from Swansea Bay was able to get people thinking about the importance of sleep – using buckets and balls – and then explaining the impact of poor sleep on physical and mental health and techniques used by OTs to improve sleep.

Thank you Rachel! 

What’s happening? 

Many OT projects in Wales are funded through regional integration funding (RIF). This resource is due to come to an end in March 2027. Several members have raised their concern that no new announcement has been made from the Welsh Government or the Welsh NHS about what comes next. 

Why this matters to you? 

A substantial number of OTs working in community settings, mental health, discharge, rehabilitation and children are reliant on the £140 million of funding each year.

Along with tightening health board budgets, it’s essential that OTs and patients are given clarity over the future and that successful projects are funded on a long-term basis. 

What we’re doing: 

After discussing the issue in the all-Wales primary care network, we’ve worked with the co-chairs of OTAF to write to the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care raising our concerns. 

In the letter, we welcomed the government’s commitment to increase the proportion of health board budgets devoted to primary care by 0.5% a year from next year. However, we raised the impact of short-term funding on projects and that successful initiatives are brought to a close due to the lack of funding.

We’ve suggested to the Minister a need for a more systematic approach to evaluating projects, along with health boards being required to factor in core funding for initiatives in their multi-year budgets – which can then be accessed if they are successful.

The Welsh Government have since confirmed funding arrangements for the Regional Integration Fund and Integration and Rebalancing Capital Fund from April 2027 till 2032. Further guidance will be produced by the government. The co-chairs of OTAF will be meeting the Minister to discuss the impact of short-term funding on the profession in December.

Raising the profile for neonatals, children and young people 

What’s happening? 

Following the Senedd elections in May, the Welsh Parliament’s committees are undergoing consultation to decide their work programme for the next four years. A main part of their work is undertaking inquiries into the work of the Welsh Government or areas that are a major concern to people in Wales. These inquiries take different forms, usually a public consultation, written evidence and oral hearings. 

Why this matters to you? 

Working with the Senedd’s committees we can showcase different areas of occupational therapy, highlighting OT impact to MSs and other organisations that are also interested in that area of work. 

A committee inquiry would also produce recommendations – based on evidence – to the Welsh Government, which they are required to respond to and, where necessary, take action. 

What we’re doing: 

As part of our election engagement, the all-Wales paediatrics network wrote to the previous committee as part of their legacy report, suggesting areas for inquiry.

When the new committee was established, we sent an updated letter for consideration. The chair invited members to meet with her and the committee clerking team to understand more about our requests. Kelly Southway and James Marsden met the committee chair, running through the different areas of neonatal, children and young people that could be opportunities for investigation.  

The chair had personal experience of occupational therapy and said that it was 'transformational' for her family. She recognises the impact that OTs have, with Kelly and James explaining in more detail the areas OTs operate in and what they can achieve with the right resources. 

In a demonstration of the committee’s interest, the meeting overran and, in their summing up, it appears that there will be an opportunity for us to engage further once the work programme is published.