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3.4 Priority 4: Supporting the Development of a Sustainable Health and Care System

PHW has a national role, working in partnership with NHS Wales and communities to co-ordinate public health activities. Research and evaluation are important in this area to provide sustainable models of healthcare to reduce the burden on the health system and help people to live healthier lives. There is also a need to improve data quality and data sharing in this area including on inequalities and protected characteristics.

Research Questions

Access to Healthcare Services

1.    How does the accessibility of healthcare services, such as General Practice, influence processes of diagnosis, treatment, and workforce considerations?

2.    What is the cost effectiveness of secondary prevention provided through primary and secondary healthcare settings? 

3.    How does ill health and sickness absence among the NHS workforce impact on the availability and cost of NHS services?

4.    What factors contribute to the delayed seeking of emergency care in areas of high levels of deprivation?

Prevention and Early Intervention Strategies

1.    What strategies are effective in prevention and early intervention to deter individuals from entering primary and secondary care?

2.    What pre-habilitation interventions have proven effectiveness for adults on elective surgical waiting lists, and what specific features or components are crucial to the success of these interventions?

3.    How does the burden of obesity affect the utilisation of primary and secondary health services and the provision of care?

4.    How can the increasing availability of genomic data be used to better design and target services towards communities and individuals? 

5.    What opportunities exist to use knowledge of the genomics of the population to better design and target measures to prevent or intervene early to produce better outcomes in chronic diseases?

Role of the NHS an Anchor Institution

1.    To what extent do procurement practices of NHS organisations in Wales result in health and wellbeing benefits (including employment) in the local population?

2.    What policies are successful in the NHS to reduce its environmental impact?