Welsh NHS Confederation comments on NHS Wales finances
16 Jun 2015 12:18 PM
A spokesperson for the Welsh NHS Confederation responded to reports that NHS Wales had a £50m overspend in 2014-15.
“At a time when finances are tight, the Welsh NHS continues to face increasing demand on its services. The rising cost of providing these services means that NHS Wales faces significant challenges at the same time as an understandable expectation to improve quality and safety.
“The NHS in Wales is committed to working more efficiently and prioritising spending in order to rise to the challenges that we face.
“Our members have worked incredibly hard and made some very tough decisions to achieve significant savings. It is important to remember that organisations reduced costs by nearly £1bn from 2010/11- 2013/14 - an average efficiency saving of 4.5% per year.
“However, alongside savings, transformational change is needed to put NHS Wales on a sustainable footing for the longer-term.
“Difficult decisions will still need to be made and we cannot afford to take our foot off the pedal when it comes to making the changes that are needed to meet the growing needs of the population.”