Resources

To ensure that we meet the objectives set out in the Plan, partner agencies will need to fundamentally change the way they do things and shift resources to support new service models. For example, we will expect to see spend on long term care reducing as further investment is made in preventative services.

We also have dedicated funding through the Welsh Government’s Integrated Care Fund (ICF), which is provided to support delivery of the RPBs responsibilities in relation to transformation and integration. In West Wales we receive around £7.5 million a year and expect this to continue at least until 2021. We will continue to use a small proportion of the ICF to fund regional programme management capacity in support of our priorities, whilst the remainder will support the ongoing implementation of new service models at both regional and local level. We will also look to use forthcoming additional Capital ICF funding to support large-scale, long-term investment in regional delivery of specialist services.

Significant funding is also available through the Welsh Government’s Primary Care Fund which supports both Primary, Community and Preventative health initiatives as well as the 7 Localities in developing new ways of working to keep people at home, help them stay independent and develop greater resilience within integrated Primary Care Services. In West Wales this amounts to £3.41 million of Primary Care Funding and a further £1.3 million of direct cluster funding. Using this funding creatively, and aligning the cluster programmes with initiatives funded through the ICF and other priorities within our Area Plan, will help optimise the resources available and deliver a cohesive and joined up approach to care and support.

Alongside resources from the ICF and local budgets, we will also be making use of an allocation from the £1million announced recently by the Minister for Children and Social Services to enable Local Health Boards to work with a range of partners in enhancing the lives of carers. The focus for this funding will be on:

Supporting carers to have reasonable breaks from caring to lead fulfilled lives
Identifying and recognising carers
Providing information, advice and assistance to carers where and when they need it

In keeping with the requirements of Part 9 of the Act we will explore opportunities for pooling budgets across health and local authorities to support delivery of the integrated approaches outlined in this Plan and ensure available resources are used as efficiently and effectively as possible.