BMA Cymru Wales manifesto for a healthier Wales
June 2006
Quality of healthcare for patients should be top of the agenda
Doctors in all branches of medicine play a vital role in improving people's health and the quality of healthcare. They are committed to a health service that is properly resourced, funded through general taxation, providing a comprehensive service grounded on a strong diagnostic base, free at the point of delivery and with equal access for all.
The service should also embrace the education and training of undergraduates and graduates – crucial to the future development of the NHS.
Over the last six years since the National Assembly was established, we have seen both successes and failures. Patients are seeing some improvements to services as a result of increased funding, and by opening the Swansea and north Wales clinical schools the government has begun to address chronic shortages of doctors.
We all agree that a great deal of money has been invested in the NHS over the last few years. Unfortunately, we have not seen a marked improvement in service provision. The NHS needs to work smarter, encompass new ideas and innovations, embrace new ways of working and develop its estates appropriately.
The BMA wishes to work constructively and positively with the new government to improve the quality of care patients receive. Doctors, other health professionals and patients must be involved in the formulation of health policy and NHS reforms at the earliest opportunity.
Workforce
Improved quality of care to patients is very much dependant on a full complement of a well-trained workforce. Recruitment and retention of doctors in Wales is vital. Doctors will be attracted to come and work in a service that delivers high quality of care to patients in a timely fashion, that is welcoming, fair and honest in its dealings and rewards their work fairly and openly.
Working conditions
With modernisation of healthcare delivery must come the need to modernise and improve conditions for doctors: hospital accommodation for junior doctors, primary care premises, secretarial support for consultants and office space.
Policies
Policies are too often developed without the involvement of doctors' representatives, patients and the public. The result is that initiatives are sometimes impractical to implement or miss some vital aspect of patients' interests. Care should be centred on patients.
General practitioners
We are pleased to see that the vacancy rates for GPs are falling due in no small part to the GP contract which appropriately rewards quality health provision. However, there is no room for complacency. The age ranges for GPs particularly in the south Wales valleys is a stark reminder that we are still facing a retirement boom before very long.
Public health
Doctors see the results of poor diet, lack of exercise and the damage done by smoking on a daily basis. For the first time the UK is beginning to see cases of diabetes related to diet appearing in children, and obesity has become a modern epidemic.
The government’s campaign Health Challenge Wales – which aims to empower people to make their own health interventions is to be applauded, and very important if we are to make real health gains.
Room for improvement
The NHS is not as good as it could be and doctors share many of the present government's stated aims to improve it making care more patient-centred, improving information to underpin their choices, shortening waiting times, reducing bureaucracy and devolving decision making to front-line clinicians in a health system that is based on clear standards and pathways of care and breaking down barriers between health and social care. But a number of challenges need to be faced if these aims are to be made a reality and visibly improve the NHS.
Dr Richard Lewis
Welsh Secretary
BMA Cymru Wales