Bevan Commission calls for prevention-first model for healthcare in Wales

The great niece of NHS architect Aneurin Bevan has called for an “urgent revolution” in the NHS in Wales.

Nygaire Bevan — a member of independent think tank the Bevan Commission which is made up of international health experts — was speaking at the launch of the Commission’s latest white paper, ‘A new way of planning: working towards a prudent model of health and care’, which recommends a prevention-first model for health and care in Wales.

This paper is the second in a series from the Commission, called ‘Exploiting the Welsh Health Legacy’, which provides its advice to the Welsh government on health matters.

In its first paper, the Commission set out the case for change and described a model designed to meet the health needs of people in Wales — one which “prevents ill health and preserves and supports all aspects of wellbeing, in which everyone has a responsibility”.

This latest paper sets out the planning, thinking and approach required to implement the model, which is based on the Bevan Commission’s concept of ‘prudent healthcare’.

The principles of this system include encouraging individuals to “take collective action and responsibility to help us all live the healthiest lives for as long as possible”, and ensuring that “those with greatest needs are prioritised and hard-to-reach groups are included”.

The Commission said the paper represents “the first stage in a process of essential and fundamental change and the rebalancing of the NHS in Wales”.