NORTH Wales will benefit from the largest slice of NHS investment that Welsh Government has announced today, Thursday.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board will receive an extra £20m to kick-start the national health and care system’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The newly appointed minister for health and social services, Eluned Morgan MS, has set-out plans for £100m worth of investment across the nation's health boards.

The money for new equipment, staff, technology and ways of working will help medics improve services across primary, community and hospital care, by increasing capacity and cutting waiting times as they begin resuming non-emergency care following the pandemic.

Ms Morgan said: “Helping our health and social care services recover from the pandemic is going to take time, investment and a new approach to delivering care.

"The remarkable commitment of our NHS and social care workers has helped us through this pandemic to a point where we can now start to think about the future. I am determined that we now provide them the support they need to help the service recover.

"I am under no illusions about the size of the task ahead, but it is also important to recognise we now have a real opportunity to transform the delivery of health and care services. We must take this opportunity to create a health and care system that is fit for the future. The pandemic saw the early and swift adoption of new technology and ways of working, I want to see health boards build on this good work."

The initial £100m will be allocated as follows:

  • Powys - £2.5m to transform patient services and increase capacity for a range of services;
  • Velindre - £2.5m to increase capacity for radiotherapy;
  • Cardiff & Vale - £13m to increase capacity for a range of therapies and diagnostics, including staff recruitment and two new mobile theatres;
  • Hywel Dda - £13m to improve capacity for planned care, including hospital redesign, investment in diagnostics;
  • Cwm Taf Morgannwg - £16m for recruitment and investment in surgical and diagnostic capacity;
  • Swansea Bay - £16m to increase capacity in a wide range of areas, including theatres, recruitment and ophthalmology;
  • Aneurin Bevan Health - £17m for projects to increased capacity in planned care, diagnostics, therapies and mental health and
  • Betsi Cadwaldr - £20m to increase capacity in planned care, cancer, dental, diagnostics and endoscopy.