Heart Voices

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If you live in Wales

North Wales heartSharing your thoughts and experiences about the NHS in Wales will help to ensure that you have a health service that really meets the needs of your community. 

Influencing the health service is easier to do if you understand the how it works.  Find out how NHS Wales is organised, along with information about where to go to get heard.

Take action now!

The Patient and Public Involvement Programme (PPIP) at NICE and the National Clinical Guideline Centre are looking for patients and carers to join the guideline development group on atrial fibrillation.

Take part in the Welsh Government’s consultation on standardised packaging of tobacco products.

Get heard in Wales

Here are two great avenues that will help you have a say in health care in Wales. 

Get in touch with your local Community Health Council

In Wales your first port of call should be the Community Health Councils. There are eight Community Health Councils (CHCs) in Wales.  The aim of each CHC is to represent the interests of the public in the health service in their area. They give people an independent voice in their local NHS and the services it provides. The CHCs are all supported by strong local links.

Contact your Assembly Member

If you have a specific issue or campaign in mind, you may also want to consider writing to your Assembly Member (AM).  To find out which AM represents you visit assemblywales.org or call the Information Line on 0845 010 5500.

 

The NHS in Wales

NHS - Wales

I'm Interested in the future of the NHS, which offers so much and too often fails to deliver.

Find out more

The Department for Health and Social Services

The Department for Health and Social Services has overall responsibility for health and social care delivery, policy and strategy.  It also has responsibility for the funding of NHS Wales.

National Advisory Board

The National Advisory Board and the National Delivery Group both play a role in supporting the Department for Health and Social Services.  The Advisory Board assists in carrying out ministerial functions and meeting ministerial targets for the performance of the NHS in Wales, while the Delivery Group is responsible for overseeing the development and delivery of NHS services.

Actual delivery of the services is carried out by seven Local Health Boards and three NHS Trusts.

Local Heath Boards

Within their geographical areas, the seven Local Heath Boards (LHBs) in Wales are responsible for planning, designing, developing and securing delivery of:
• Primary care services
• Community care services
• Secondary care services
• Specialist and tertiary care services 

The seven Local Health Boards are:
• Aneurin Bevan Health Board
• Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board
• Cardiff & Vale University Health Board
• Hywel Dda Health Board
• Cwm Taf Health Board
• Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
• Powys Teaching Health Board

NHS Trusts

Working alongside the seven Local Health Boards are three NHS Trusts.  These trusts have an all-Wales focus and provide services that fall outside the expertise of the Local Health Boards. The three trusts are:
• Welsh Ambulance Services Trust
• Velindre NHS Trust: offering specialist services in cancer care and a range of national support services
• Public Health Wales