Found: could take on a strategic role, holding the Government accountable and embedding a ‘mental health in all policies

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of English Devolution on investment in creative health as a solution to local health inequalities.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As set out in the English Devolution White Paper, the government is introducing a new bespoke duty in relation to health improvement and health inequalities. This is intended to support Strategic Authorities to be active leaders and drive a “health in all policies” approach in line with our Mission government approach.

The duty will ensure Strategic Authorities have regard to the need to improve health, and the need to reduce health inequalities, in the exercise of their functions, and give them a clear stake in improving local health outcomes. This will complement the existing health improvement duty held by upper-tier Local Authorities. The government will engage Strategic Authorities, Local Authorities and the NHS as we take this forward.

Found: These are structural aspects such as leadership, “health-in-all” policies, dedicated funding for health

Found: ............................................................................. 72 ‘Mental health in all policies

Found: While Zoe Wallace, Public Health Wales, said the Welsh Government should take a ‘health in all policies

Found: exposing and exacerbating health inequalities, we will continue to deploy a cross-government, Health in All Policies

Found: It adds that its ‘health in all policies’ approach, informed by health impact assessments, and its integrated

Found: This is achieved through the Welsh Government’s health in all policies approach (supported by health

Found: planning required by the Well- being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and through our health in all policies

Found: HIAs are particularly aligned to the ‘Health in all Policies’ approach, recognising that health outcomes

Question

What action is the Welsh Government taking to address the unmet support and treatment needs of adults diagnosed with ADHD considering research by the British Journal of Psychiatry highlighting that adults with an ADHD diagnosis have a life expectancy of around 7-9 years shorter compared with the general population?

Answered by Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing

The Welsh Government continues to work with partners to support adults diagnosed with ADHD.

In recent years, the increased demand for support around neurodivergence conditions has placed strain on services across Wales.

Through the Neurodivergence Improvement Programme we are directly addressing these challenges, and the Neurodivergence Ministerial Advisory Group continues to provide expert advice. Funding has been made available through this programme to ensure more resources are available for diagnosis, treatment and support.

The Welsh Government funds the National Neurodivergence Team, which has expanded its remit from autism to the wider neurodivergence spectrum, with a much stronger emphasis on resource development in relation to ADHD to help support individuals, professionals and organisations.

We are also working to improve the prescribing of medication, including shared care arrangements with GPs, to develop national standard pathways and to ensure services are consistent across Wales.

The building blocks of health include fair work, good education, adequate housing, and social connections. Improving health and decreasing health inequalities needs a whole system response with the health service playing an important role. Actions to address health inequalities are embedded across all activity owing to the strategic planning required by the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and through our health in all policies approach.

This is further supported through strong legislation such as the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act, the Planning (Wales) Act, the Environment (Wales) Act, the Public Health (Wales) Act and Socio-economic Duty.

We support many projects and initiatives which aim to reduce inequalities in health and social care provision. Further support to improve access to health care ranges from free prescriptions, free transport for those who are eligible, and free car parking at all hospital sites for patients, visitors and NHS staff.

Question

What is the Welsh Government doing to tackle health inequalities for those with musculoskeletal disorders in Wales, a disproportionate number of which are Black Caribbean or Pakistani?

Answered by Minister for Health and Social Services

The Welsh Government has a longstanding commitment to a “health in all policies approach”. This approach is supported by Health Impact Assessments and the strategic planning required by the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

The Welsh Government recognises that a significant proportion of the population in Wales experience musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions and that they can disproportionally affect certain groups of citizens and are linked to deprivation, ethnicity, age, and gender. We have been working closely with the National Clinical Leads for MSK and our partners across the healthcare service to co-produce the Quality Statement for MSK Health. This document is due to be published in October 2023 and will set out the Welsh Government’s vision for the development of improved MSK care across Wales, including equitable access to MSK services on a local, regional and national basis.

The Welsh Government has also awarded funding of £8.0m to support up to 7,000 employed and self-employed people with mental health and musculoskeletal health conditions across Wales through our In-Work Support Service. The service will be available until March 2025. The service plays a vital role in helping people with mental health and musculoskeletal health conditions to retain employment by aiming to prevent people from becoming absent from work and helping those on a sickness absence to return to work more quickly.

Question

What work is the Welsh Government doing in relation to innovative treatment that can combat health inequalities?

Answered by Minister for Health and Social Services

Tackling health inequalities is a key priority as we look to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and address the cost-of-living crisis.  Current actions to address health inequalities are embedded across all activity owing to the strategic planning required by the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and through our health in all policies approach. 

The recent introduction of the Duty of Quality, within which equity is one dimension, and the publication of quality statements for major service areas that lay out government’s  expectation for equitable services, demonstrates the importance that is placed on this.  For Local Health Boards specifically, the NHS Planning Framework sets an expectation of a broad approach to prevention to be applied in all aspects of planning and the Framework for 2022-25 requires health boards give attention to their action to reduce health inequalities in their Integrated Medium Term Plans.

Through innovative treatment and technologies we have a robust response to NICE guidance on new medicines to ensure that these are made available to everyone who needs them.  Processes have been improved to ensure that when new technology is available we are aware of the need for equal access to them and are taking steps to overcome the barriers.  For example, Health Technology Wales has recommended the new technology Freestyle Libre as a way to improve the care of people with diabetes who are dependent on insulin.  The Welsh Value in Health Centre are looking at variation in uptake to ensure that it’s equitably distributed.

Welsh Government has, and continues to, support the development of technology that is mobile and can be taken closer to home and communities of need, for example Respiratory Innovation Wales is currently piloting a mobile respiratory unit that is providing access to diagnostic care in the community.

Question

What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of (a) alcohol misuse (b) obesity on liver disease mortality rates?

Answered by Minister for Health and Social Services

We are committed to ensuring everyone with liver disease in Wales has access to the best possible care.

Alcohol is a major cause of death and illness in Wales, including cancer, chronic liver disease and cardiovascular disease. Although we have made important progress in reducing harmful levels of alcohol consumption, there is more work to do. In 2020, there were 438 alcohol-specific deaths in Wales, an increase of 20% compared to the previous year.

We recognise the impact obesity has on a range of chronic diseases, including non-alcohol related fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Obesity has an impact on a wide range of chronic diseases, which increases the years lived in disability and has an impact on overall life expectancy.

Our Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales strategy is a key commitment towards a cross-government approach to reducing obesity in Wales on a population scale and has been developed from evidence of what works.

Some studies have suggested that more deprived areas experience higher rates of premature deaths from liver disease than the less deprived areas.

We have a Health in All Policies approach to addressing health inequalities. This includes action to ensure equal access to healthcare services and wider policies such as the Flying Start programme, tackling poor quality housing and fuel poverty, our Employability Plan and addressing air pollution. 

Question

What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of social deprivation on liver disease mortality rates?

Answered by Minister for Health and Social Services

We are committed to ensuring everyone with liver disease in Wales has access to the best possible care.

Alcohol is a major cause of death and illness in Wales, including cancer, chronic liver disease and cardiovascular disease. Although we have made important progress in reducing harmful levels of alcohol consumption, there is more work to do. In 2020, there were 438 alcohol-specific deaths in Wales, an increase of 20% compared to the previous year.

We recognise the impact obesity has on a range of chronic diseases, including non-alcohol related fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Obesity has an impact on a wide range of chronic diseases, which increases the years lived in disability and has an impact on overall life expectancy.

Our Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales strategy is a key commitment towards a cross-government approach to reducing obesity in Wales on a population scale and has been developed from evidence of what works.

Some studies have suggested that more deprived areas experience higher rates of premature deaths from liver disease than the less deprived areas.

We have a Health in All Policies approach to addressing health inequalities. This includes action to ensure equal access to healthcare services and wider policies such as the Flying Start programme, tackling poor quality housing and fuel poverty, our Employability Plan and addressing air pollution.  

Found: Generations Bill as an overarching piece of legislation with the capacity to further a ‗Health in All Policies

Found: essential that the Bill places duties on Welsh Ministers and public sector bodies to consider health in all policies

Found: There was particular support for achieving a „Health in All Policies‟ approach in Wales, in order to

Found: There was particular support for achieving a „Health in All Policies‟ approach in Wales, in order to