Mr Gething announced the funding, from the Welsh Government’s £50m EU Transition Fund, following a meeting with key health and social services partners about Brexit preparations yesterday (Thursday, 25 October).
The Welsh NHS Confederation will receive £150,000 over two years to provide support to Welsh NHS boards and trusts to prepare for Brexit. The money will fund a Brexit Transition Support Programme to enable them to increase awareness, support members to prepare for Brexit and provide a coordinated response in terms of contingency planning.
Public Health Wales will receive £60,000 to help strengthen resilience for health security and health protection in Wales.
Mr Gething said:
“As we move into this critical phase, it is important that we are prepared for all possible outcomes for Brexit, including the possibility of a no-deal.
This funding will help the health service in Wales to ensure the smooth and effective running of services for patients and service users following our withdrawal from the European Union.”
Vanessa Young, Director of the Welsh NHS Confederation said:
“We are pleased to have secured this funding which will help us to support communication and engagement between the NHS and Welsh Government as we prepare and respond to EU withdrawal, in whatever form that takes.
“We will use the funding to help Welsh Government coordinate specific Brexit actions across the NHS and to represent Welsh interests in the UK wide Cavendish Coalition and Brexit Health Alliance.
“The immediate priority is to ensure plans are in place across the health and care system in Wales to manage a no deal Brexit, should that happen. Whatever the outcome of negotiations the NHS potentially faces a number of challenges, including the supply of goods and medicines; protecting public health; and maintaining our valued EU workforce. Ultimately our ambition is for patients to see no difference in the level of service we’re able to provide after we leave the EU.”
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