Towards a national programme of housing and health in Wales

Wales has played a major role in the creation of the National Health Service (NHS). Aneurin Bevan, the Government Minister for Health in 1948, oversaw the implementation of a new service which was based on models of healthcare already in existence in Welsh communities. Over 75 years later, the Bevan Commission in Wales awards exemplar status to high quality NHS projects.
In 2021, Bevan Exemplar status was awarded to a project called ‘Building Bridges Between Housing and Health’. This was led by one of the seven Welsh Health Boards that covered the West Wales area. Hywel Dda University Health Board(HDUUB), in partnership with other organisations, has subsequently delivered a good practice guide that could improve the delivery of housing and health work.

In 2023, discussions commenced between HDUHB and University of South Wales (USW). These discussions are gaining momentum, again in partnership with other organisations, to progress plans to establish a Centre of Excellence for housing and health work, stimulating research to be converted into practice and vice versa. A multi-agency consensus meeting was held in November 2023.
Wales has a population of about 3 million people and geographically, it is small enough to allow professional connections across the country to be made. The ambition is to work toward a national programme of housing and health in
Wales, ensuring the ‘spread and scale’ of good practice coupled to a high quality research agenda. At the presentation, an update of the work will be provided.