The Case for Change

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant the way we deliver hospital services has had to change and change very rapidly. Providing high quality health care is more challenging now than it has been for some time, and these challenges are likely to continue for years to come. COVID-19 has led to the closure of hospital wards and delays in treating patients. So, we have had to take important decisions and make some changes to the way we work in order to manage COVID-19.

In addition to COVID-19 we also face other challenges some of which can be found throughout Wales and the rest of the UK and some of which are more specific to our part of South Wales.

Changing for the Future is not just about how we recover from the pandemic, it is also about how we address several long-standing issues that existed before COVID-19. These include:

• Significant local health inequalities
• A growing and ageing population
• Health problems arising from poor lifestyle choices (smoking, alcohol etc.)
• The prevalence of long-term illness
• Difficulties in recruiting health and care staff
• Financial challenges

If you would like to know more, please explore this website, review the engagement document and take our survey.