Published: 5 July 2023.
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As part of the celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the NHS, Public Health Wales has released an exciting new video; this highlights key milestones in the organisation’s development, from the time it was set up in its current form in 2009 - one of the now 12 public bodies that make up NHS Wales. Public Health Wales is an organisation dedicated to working towards a Wales in which people live longer, healthier lives and where all people in Wales have fair and equal access to the things that lead to good health and well-being. In 1999 Cervical Screening Wales was launched, followed by other screening programmes in 2003, including Breast Test Wales, Antenatal Screening Wales and Diabetic Eye Screening Wales. Today, Public Health Wales runs eight screening programmes, which help save lives through enabling early interventions. The Vaccine Preventable Disease Programme (VPDP) was launched in 2005, and today, 16 different vaccinations help people across Wales to prevent serious illness. In 2017 Help Me Quit was launched and has helped 15,000 smokers a year to stop smoking. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Public Health Wales’ Microbiology labs processed more than a million samples, the Contact Centre set up responded to 40,000 calls a year, and the organisation contributed to the delivery of more than 8.6 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. Chair of Public Health Wales, Jan Williams, said: “The 75th anniversary of the NHS offers an opportunity to reflect on the significant contribution made to date, and the challenges that face us in the years ahead. “There is no doubt that there are enormous challenges facing us, as we look to increase healthy life expectancy, improve health and well-being, and reduce inequalities for everyone in Wales. “As an organisation, Public Health Wales is facing up to those challenges today, as we have done in the past. We have a refreshed Long Term Strategy in place, which will help us to work together to achieve a healthier future for Wales.”
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