Vaughan Gething Visits Ground Breaking Healthy Prestatyn Iach

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Well-being Vaughan Gething today visited a ground breaking new primary care centre in Prestatyn to meet staff and to learn more about how it is transforming care for tens of thousands of people in the area. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Opened in April this year, Healthy Prestatyn Iach brings together three GP practices that previously operated in the area. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Vaughan Gething said: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Healthy Prestatyn Iach draws upon the skills of many health professionals who can offer expert advice, whilst freeing up GPs to treat people with the most complex conditions. It’s the first model of its kind in North Wales and the staff here can be proud of what they have achieved. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I know that Dr Chris Stockport and his team have worked hard, together with the health board and the local authority, to improve the service that is on offer. I want us to use the learning from this model across Wales.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Five multi-disciplinary teams, including GPs, nurse practitioner, pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and community health workers, have taken responsibility for caring for specific groups of patients. This means that patients will be seen directly by the most appropriate professional for their needs and will ensure that GPs can devote their time to those patients with the most complex conditions. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The previous three practices informed the Health Board they would be withdrawing from their contracts to provide primary care services last autumn. The new service has already recruited at least nine GPs and was praised by Denbighshire councillors last week as an example to the rest of North Wales. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​