The Healthcare Commission and Wales
The Commission has different functions in Wales to those in England.
Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW), a department of the National Assembly for Wales, is responsible for inspecting and investigating the provision of health care by and for Welsh NHS bodies. Since 1 April 2005, HIW has been responsible also for the regulation of the private and voluntary health care sector in Wales, having taken over this role from the Care Standards Inspectorate for Wales.
In addition, while the Healthcare Commission reviews complaints about the NHS in England that have not been resolved locally, in Wales this falls to the Independent Review Secretariat.
Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (opens new window)
Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (opens new window)
Wales Audit Office (opens new window)
The Commission's activities in Wales are described in our Strategic Plan 2005/2008. These include:
- our annual report on the state of healthcare, which covers both England and Wales
- national (England and Wales) improvement reviews
- ensuring that relevant cross border issues are managed effectively
- ensuring that the distinctive features of Wales and its system of health care, as well as the Welsh language, are recognised in our policies and programmes of work
- reviewing the quality of data obtained by others in relation to the provision of health care by/for the NHS.
Download our Strategic plan (Cynllun strategol) 2005/2008 - Welsh (PDF, 789K) (opens new window)
Welsh Language Scheme
In accordance with the Welsh Language Act 1993, the Healthcare Commission is now a member of the Welsh Language Scheme. Our Scheme was approved by the Welsh Language Board on March 29th 2007. It sets out how we propose to deliver services to the public in Welsh.
The Welsh Language Scheme - English version (pdf 86kb) (opens new window)
The Welsh Language Scheme - Welsh version (pdf 149kb) (opens new window)
Concordat
The Commission is a signatory to the concordat between bodies inspecting, regulating and auditing health and social care in Wales. This contains a set of principles and practices to support the improvement of services for patients, service users and carers and to eliminate any unnecessary burdens of external review.
The concordat was published on 12 May 2005. Its aims are similar to the concordat in England whose development and implementation has been led by the Commission.
Concordat for Wales - English (PDF, 429K) (opens new window)
Concordat for Wales (Concordat Nghymru) - Welsh (PDF, 450K) (opens new window)
Concordat for Wales - further information - English (PDF, 159K) (opens new window)
Concordat for Wales - further information - Welsh (PDF, 158K) (opens new window)
Concordat for England (pdf 1124kb) (opens new window)
Assessing performance
The Commission's new approach to assessing the performance of organisations that provide healthcare in the NHS does not apply in Wales. Standards for health care in Wales have been set by the Welsh Assembly Government. These will be used by HIW to assess Welsh NHS bodies from April 2006 and will apply also to the Commission's work in Wales.
A meeting of the Healthcare Commission was held in Cardiff in September 2004:
Commission meeting September 2004
Mae ein dyletswyddau yng Nghymru yn gwahaniaethu i rai hynny yn Lloegr. Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru sydd yn gyfrifol am arolygiaeth leol ag archwilio Cyrff GIG Cymreig. Mae sector preifat gofal iechyd yn cael ei rheoli gan Arolygiaeth Gofal Safonau dros Gymru.
Mwy o wybodaeth am y Comisiwn Gofal Iechyd a Chymru
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