Health

18,000 families ‘struggling in silence’ due to lack of dementia diagnosis

Published

1 year ago

December 5, 2024

AROUND 18,000 people living with dementia in Wales do not have a diagnosis, leaving families struggling to cope without support and treatment, Senedd Members warned.

Mabon ap Gwynfor said Wales has the lowest rate of diagnosis in the UK at 56%, warning that dementia is one of the biggest causes of death in the country.

Plaid Cymru’s shadow health secretary paid tribute to Terry Griffiths, the former snooker world champion from Llanelli, who died on Monday following a long battle with dementia.

Mr ap Gwynfor raised an estimate from Alzheimer’s Society Cymru of a 37% increase in the number of people living with dementia by 2040 due to an ageing population.

He told the Senedd that dementia costs the Welsh economy £2.3bn a year, which is expected to double to £4.6bn by 2050 if services do not improve.

Leading a debate on a Plaid Cymru motion calling for diagnosis targets, Mr ap Gwynfor said: “Around 18,000 people are left to cope without the support and treatment they need.

“That’s 18,000 individuals and 18,000 families struggling in silence, without knowing what to do or where to turn. The situation is even worse in rural areas, such as Powys.”

Gareth Davies warned dementia is Britain’s biggest killer, yet spending on diagnosis makes up less than 1.4% of UK health care expenditure, “which seems a staggering oversight”.

He said families are shouldering 63% of dementia-related costs, according to Alzheimer’s Society, with the average bill standing at £29,000 a year rising to £80,000 or more.

His Conservative colleague Altaf Hussain, a former surgeon, focused on alcohol-related dementia and brain damage, warning it is difficult for GPs to identify.

Delyth Jewell said her grandma Doreen, who lived to be 100, had dementia.

She told the Senedd: “The cruellest thing about dementia is how bewildering it is for the person going through it. My parents would visit my grandma. They’d call her multiple times each day. But she’d forget that they’d been.

South Wales East's Plaid Cymru MS Delyth Jewell — South Wales East’s Plaid Cymru MS Delyth Jewell

“She’d think that they’d forgotten her. I remember her calling my parents’ house one day, and I’d answered the phone, and she’d asked me, ‘Why is it that I can’t do all the things I used to do?’ and she wished that she could walk and walk.

“She’d get frustrated, she’d be lonely and she couldn’t understand why it was happening.”

Ms Jewell, who represents South Wales East, said diagnosis rates are stubbornly low at 60% in the Aneurin Bevan health board and “there’s still no dementia plan for Gwent”.

Heledd Fychan, a fellow Plaid Cymru Senedd Member, called for greater support for Welsh speakers living with dementia, warning their needs are too often disregarded.

Mike Hedges, who represents Swansea East, said: “Increasing diagnosis rates across Wales is vital to enable people … to take control of their condition and live independently for longer.

“This supports people to stay out of hospital and in their own homes, relieving pressure on our health and care system.”

Responding to the debate on December 4, Sarah Murphy told the Senedd an independent evaluation of the Welsh Government’s dementia action plan will be published in early 2025.

The mental health minister, whose responsibilities include dementia, said the final report will inform a refreshed plan that will include new targets for diagnosis.

Labour MS Sarah Murphy speaking in the Senedd — Sarah Murphy, minister for mental health and wellbeing

She said: “Ensuring people’s lived experience is at the heart of the development of services is very important to me, and I am committed to the development of robust diagnosis data.”

While the Plaid Cymru motion was defeated, 27-25, a version amended by the Conservatives and the Welsh Government was agreed unanimously.

Health

Major investment confirmed for GP services in Wales

Published

15 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Government unveils £41m boost, but practices warn pressures remain acute

MORE than £41m in extra funding will go into general practice in Wales this year following a new agreement between the Welsh Government, NHS Wales and GP leaders. Ministers say the deal provides stability at a time of rising demand — but the settlement comes against a backdrop of sustained pressures, recruitment challenges and concerns over patient access.

The package includes a 4% uplift to the General Medical Services (GMS) contract for 2025-26, in line with independent DDRB pay recommendations, and a guaranteed 5.8% recurrent uplift from 2026-27. The Welsh Government says the multi-year commitment will allow practices to plan ahead, modernise systems and strengthen community-based services.

Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said the investment showed an “unwavering commitment” to general practice, adding: “The 4% pay uplift ensures fair recognition for GPs and practice staff who work tirelessly to deliver care for communities across our country. Multi-year funding gives practices the confidence to invest in the transformation primary care needs.”

However, the announcement comes at a time when many Welsh practices continue to report severe workforce pressures, rising demand, and longstanding challenges in recruiting new partners. GP numbers have fallen over the past decade, with some practices handing back contracts or operating list closures because of unsustainable workloads. Patient satisfaction with access has also declined, according to the latest Welsh GP Patient Survey.

What the deal includes

The settlement for 2025-26 comprises £37.9m of new investment and £4m in re-invested capacity funding, with the key elements including:

A 1.77% uplift in expenses, intended to help practices manage inflationary pressures in energy, staffing and running costs.
A recurrent £20m stabilisation fund to support practices facing immediate operational pressures and to prepare for wider reform under the incoming Sustainable Farming Scheme model for health.
An increased partnership premium, aimed at retaining experienced GPs and encouraging new partners into a model that some say has become less attractive due to financial and regulatory risk.
A full review of the GMS allocation formula — the first in more than 20 years — which determines how funding is distributed between practices. Some rural and deprived communities have long argued the current system does not reflect the complexity of local health needs.

Wider context

General practice remains the foundation of the NHS, accounting for around 90% of patient contacts, yet it receives a proportionally small share of the overall health budget compared with hospital services. Both the Welsh NHS Confederation and GPC Wales have repeatedly warned that without sustained investment, primary care risks being unable to meet increasing demand from ageing populations and rising chronic illness.

The Welsh Government’s own “community-by-design” programme relies on shifting more care closer to home, reducing pressure on emergency departments and supporting earlier intervention. For that to be achieved, GP leaders say investment needs to be matched with workforce expansion, improved digital systems, and clear strategies to retain experienced clinicians.

Working groups will now be set up to examine access standards, diabetes prevention and new service models.

Mr Miles said he was pleased that GPs would be “actively contributing to creating innovative care models that enhance access, improve outcomes and deliver care locally.”

GP representatives broadly welcomed the deal but have stressed that it is only one step in addressing the scale of challenge across primary care.

Health

Welsh NHS leaders hail GP contract deal as “vital step” in strengthening primary care

Published

1 day ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Agreement secures investment, digital upgrades and better patient pathways

WELSH NHS leaders have welcomed the successful conclusion of the new General Medical Services (GMS) contract for 2025-26 — and key elements of 2026-27 — describing it as a “positive example of social partnership” at a pivotal moment for general practice.

The deal, negotiated between Welsh Government, the Welsh NHS Confederation and GP representatives, sets out new investment and commitments for frontline primary care, including accelerated digital transformation through the NHS Wales App and strengthened support for population-level health management.

Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said the agreement comes at a crucial time for GP services across Wales.

He said: “NHS leaders welcome this agreement as a positive example of social partnership in action. We also welcome the commitment to accelerating digital transformation for patients through the NHS Wales App and the measures agreed in the contract to enable enhanced population health management, such as diabetes management.”

Mr Hughes added that GPs and their multidisciplinary teams remain “the front door to the NHS,” and stressed that investment in general practice is essential if Wales is to treat more people closer to home.

“Evidence shows investing in primary and community care reduces demand on hospitals and emergency care and delivers returns of £14 for every £1 invested. To enable this shift ‘upstream’ from hospital-centred care to integrated services in the community, we must develop care pathways and joint performance measures that address the full needs of individuals,” he said.

Background: Why the GP contract matters

General practice forms the foundation of the Welsh NHS, handling millions of patient contacts every year. According to the latest official figures for 2023-24:

Over 29 million calls were received by GP practices
18 million appointments took place
11 million of these were face-to-face
More than 200,000 home visits were carried out
78 million prescriptions were dispensed
Over 14,000 medication reviews took place

Demand has continued to rise while GP numbers have come under sustained pressure, particularly in rural areas such as Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Powys, where recruitment remains a long-running challenge. Practices in West Wales have repeatedly reported difficulties filling vacancies and increasing reliance on multidisciplinary teams, including nurse practitioners, pharmacists and physiotherapists.

The new GMS contract is therefore seen as a key mechanism for stabilising the sector, supporting digital access, improving chronic disease management, and helping to deliver the Welsh Government’s community-by-design programme, which aims to shift care away from hospitals and into community settings.

A recent survey by the Welsh NHS Confederation found that 74 per cent of NHS leaders support moving resources from acute hospital services into primary care, community-based services, mental health and social care, reflecting growing consensus around early intervention and prevention.

What comes next

The Welsh Government is expected to outline further detail in the coming months on how investment will be delivered at practice level, including support for digital tools, workforce development and shared performance measures with health boards.

With winter pressures mounting and hospitals facing record demand, NHS leaders say the success of the new GP contract will be central to improving access, reducing waiting times and ensuring patients in communities such as Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion can receive timely, local care before conditions escalate.

The Welsh NHS Confederation represents all seven local health boards, the three NHS trusts, Health Education and Improvement Wales, and Digital Health and Care Wales.

Charity

Motorcycle fundraisers transform children’s play area at Glangwili Hospital

Published

3 days ago

December 12, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Long-running 3 Amigos and Dollies group marks 25 years of support

THANKS to outstanding fundraising by the Pembrokeshire-based 3 Amigos and Dollies Motorcycle Group, Hywel Dda Health Charities has funded a major improvement of the outdoor play area at Cilgerran children’s ward in Glangwili Hospital — a project costing more than £15,000.

The 3 Amigos and Dollies have supported Hywel Dda University Health Board’s children’s services for twenty-five years, with their Easter and Christmas toy runs becoming landmark dates in the local calendar, drawing hundreds of bikers and supporters from across west Wales.

The latest funding has delivered a full transformation of the ward’s outdoor space, including a re-sprayed graffiti wall, new toys and play equipment, a summer house, improved storage, and a moveable ramp to make the area more accessible for young patients. Members of the group even volunteered to help paint and refresh the space themselves.

Paula Goode, Service Director for Planned and Specialist Care, said: **“We are so grateful to the 3 Amigos and Dollies Motorcycle Group for their amazing support. Not only have they raised an incredible amount for the ward, but they have given their time to help make the outdoor space as special as possible.

“Outdoor play greatly reduces stress and anxiety for children, and it provides a vital opportunity to meet other young people going through similar experiences. It benefits both their physical and mental wellbeing, so we couldn’t be happier with the transformation.”

Tobi Evans, a volunteer with the fundraising group, said: “Because of the generosity of everyone who donates, we are able to give thousands each year. We are always humbled by how much people give, and it’s thanks to them that we’ve reached our 25th year.”

Katie Hancock, Fundraising Officer for Hywel Dda Health Charities, added: “We can’t thank the 3 Amigos and Dollies enough for their support for Cilgerran ward. You have put a smile on so many faces. Diolch yn fawr!”

Hywel Dda Health Charities funds items, equipment and activities that go beyond core NHS funding, making a meaningful difference to children and families across mid and west Wales.