Llywydd, can I thank you for the opportunity to outline the plans of our health and social care outcome framework? Now, in my statement today, I will outline the role and function of the outcome framework, how it's being developed and discuss the proposed next steps.

The Deputy Ministers and I are committed to improving the health and well-being of the people of Wales. We're clear that plans and service delivery across health and social care are focused on doing the right things well and the need to deliver our national sustainability goals.

The development of the outcome framework fulfills our commitment in 'A Healthier Wales' to develop a shared outcome framework based on the quadruple aim, which is improved population health and well-being; better quality and more accessible health and social care services; higher value health and social care; and a motivated and sustainable health and social care workforce. The framework complements the outcomes framework for people who need care and support and for carers who need support, which is part of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. This framework, together with the public health outcomes framework, will remain and will continue to provide a valuable focus for delivering improved outcomes. The main aim of the new health and social care outcome framework is to measure the impact of health and social care, working together through the lens of our citizens. It prioritises a small number of critical areas that, combined, will improve the outcomes for the whole population of Wales.  

By measuring integrated outcomes, we will shift our emphasis from measuring what the system does to what it achieves for people. It will enable us to demonstrate the effectiveness of our collective actions and help us to answer if we're doing enough of the right things well. It's an opportunity to develop joint plans and accountability, particularly in the context of regional and integrated working. Our current ways of working can lead to fragmented working, which make sense in the context of individual organisations but which are in conflict with each other when looked at from a whole-system perspective.

If we look at our current unscheduled care system, the solutions are wider than ambulance and emergency departments' performance. As demonstrated by the six goals of urgent and emergency care, we need to look across the whole system, including social care, and come up with shared goals and integrated actions. Prevention at all stages needs to be embedded in our actions, supporting individuals to stay healthy, moving from an illness system to a wellness system.

The outcome framework provides the strategic context for the planning and delivery of health and social care services for the future. Its suite of indicators focuses on delivering integrated health and social care services that will make a positive difference to individuals in Wales. The framework has been developed based on three core values: prevention, to support the anticipated health needs to prevent illness and reduce the impact of poor health; equality, improving the lives of all—there is an equitable system that achieves equal health outcomes for all by closing the equality gaps in Wales; individual responsibility, supporting people to manage their own health and well-being, enabling people to be resilient and independent for longer in their own homes and localities—this includes speeding up recovery after treatment and care, and supporting self-management of long-term conditions.

Through a series of workshops and group sessions, we've developed the population-level aspect of the outcomes framework. It sets out the desired outcome for the population, supported by a small set of indicators to measure achievement.