Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:20 pm on 12 February 2019.
Could I echo both the words of the Minister and others who've contributed so far in response to this statement about the incredible work that people do in different disciplines, both within health and within social care and third sector partners as well? And it's to one of those particular organisations that was mentioned in the statement that I want to address some questions and some remarks. And that's one that began, actually, in my own area in Bridgend, back in 2013–14, I think it was, which is the Bridgend care and repair support that was given to the hospital to home initiative. And it proved its worth very, very quickly way back then—the ability to have much more rapid discharge from hospital to a safe, secure environment with wraparound care, but also to prevent too early readmissions as well by providing that right support of wraparound care at home. Now, of course, as the Minister mentioned, it's having some interesting pilots now—it's been extended well beyond that area to six different areas in south and west Wales, and we're waiting to see the results. But I will just draw the Minister's attention to the performance report of April 2017 to March 2018, which looks at some of the quite compelling results already at that point: around about 1,500 referrals that have been through this particular initiative. Within that, one of the notable successes of the service, even in that early period, was the speed of that service to respond quickly to referrals from health professionals, accessing the service, particularly for discharge. The average speed of the service was one day from referral to completion of work in order to rapidly get somebody back to their home environment. But in addition to that, of course, it's the other services that come with it, including not only the full home assessment visits and the falls risk assessments, using the FRAT tools, the healthy homes check, but a full welfare benefits check as well. Over 230 patients had their weekly income increased during that: a total increase for the whole cohort of £657,000 in that one year's annual report. So, the impacts are massive, and when you hear the health professionals' testimonials about what this is doing—from occupational therapists, from physios and others—the impact on people's lives, as well as preventing early re-admissions, as well as early discharge, is significant.
So, could I ask the Minister—in this quiet revolution that we're trying to do within health and social care, and all the partners within it, which needs, I would say, to be a continual revolution, constantly seeking improvement—how do we move from pilot funding? This was originally the integrated care fund, now it's got some transformation funding and so on in there—if it proves itself, does he agree with me that what we then need to do is make this normal, make this part of core business? If this sort of approach we see here in front of us works, and saves money by being more preventative, then, surely, that should be part of the core business of our health and social care and well-being services. And, secondly, perhaps I could ask him, and I'm sure he'd be up for this, at an appropriate moment, would he accept an invitation to come and see the work that is being done by Bridgend care and repair in their hospital to home service? Because I think he, like me, would be simply blown away, not only by the results but by the professionalism and the commitment of these people. They've been doing it for a long time—they know their stuff. So, please, come and see it; they'd be delighted to see you and to see first-hand the results that they're delivering on the ground and the quality-of-life improvements they're making for their clients as well.