University proud to host Bevan Commission at £450m Bay Campus

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Swansea University’s £450million Bay Campus has welcomed a prestigious new partner.

School of ManagementThe Bevan Commission has now officially relocated its headquarters from Cardiff to the University’s School of Management at the Fabian Way site.

The Bevan Commission is an independent body which provides advice and guidance to Welsh Government and the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport, Vaughan Gething, on all matters relating to the NHS, health and social care in Wales.

Chaired by Professor Sir Mansel Aylward, it draws its expert members from within Wales, across the UK and internationally, to help guide health and healthcare in Wales in line with the principles set out by Aneurin Bevan, who founded the NHS back in 1948.

‌Swansea University’s Professor Marc Clement (pictured below), Dean of the School of Management, has welcomed the move and said it was another example of the University’s commitment to improving the health, wealth and wellbeing of South West Wales.

Professor Clement said: “The Commission’s move to Swansea is a huge boost for the University, and the School of Management is proud to host such a prestigious and important entity.

Prof Marc Clement - Dean of the School of Management“The £450million Bay Campus opened its doors to 5,000 students last year after securing £100million of EU investment, and aims to generate around £3billion of economic impact in the Swansea Bay region over the next 10 years.

“The Bevan Commission is a well recognised resource in Wales for providing expert advice on health to Welsh Government and wider afield, drawing on the acknowledged expertise of its national and international membership.

“The Commission has an abiding commitment to enhance and support leadership, innovation and disruptive thinking across the NHS to achieve transformational change in the delivery of services.

“The University is a partner of ARCH (A Regional Collaboration for Health) along with ABMU and Hywel Dda University health boards. ARCH aims to transform the health and wellbeing of our communities and also drive the local economy. Our partnership with The Bevan Commission will help us tackle health inequalities and also address the wider social determinants of health in a much more efficient and meaningful way.”

Bevan chair Professor Sir Mansel Aylward added that the new base in Swansea would allow the Commission to accelerate its work in improving the health service as well as allowing them to preserve and enhance the independence and wider reach of the.

Sir Mansel said: “The Bevan Commission is pleased to announce its new base at Swansea University’s superb new Bay Campus which offers the Commission an extensive supporting infrastructure which will preserve the independence of the Commission, further enhance its role in Wales and extend widely beyond Wales the expertise it commands.

“The move will also further enhance and strengthen the Commission’s position to advise and guide the NHS in Wales as we enter a new phase to strengthen and widen our remit as a recognised source of independent expert advice and intelligence on health and health-related matters on an international stage.  

“We will retain our relationship with the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport in Welsh Government, but we now intend to develop our work with health-focused organisations both in the UK and in the international arena to offer our advisory role in a wider context.

“I am delighted that our new base at Swansea University will provide us with the resources and drive to realise our aspirations and forge even firmer relationships with Swansea University and the ARCH partners.

“We want to support and help accelerate their vision to improve the health and wellbeing of people in the ARCH region - and indeed across the whole of Wales.”

ARCH (A Regional Collaboration for Health) is a unique partnership between Swansea University, ABMU and Hywel Dda University health boards which covers the whole of South West Wales and will benefit a total of one million people.

ARCH chair Professor Andrew Davies, who is also chair of ABMU Health Board, said: “ARCH aims to revolutionise the way healthcare is delivered in this region, create an effective and sustainable workforce and drive investment to boost the local economy. The ARCH partners are also ensuring prevention and improving people’s wellbeing is front and centre of all of our aims.

“We are delighted to be working with The Bevan Commission to realise these ambitions and we welcome them to Swansea with open arms.

“ARCH is based on collaboration and we value the expert advice and guidance the Commission offers the partnership.

“We are extremely fortunate to now have this kind of leadership and innovation right on our doorstep.”

The Bevan Commission aims to help the NHS in Wales to identify and turn innovative ideas into actions, products and services which will benefit patients. The Commission, through their Bevan Innovators and Innovation Hubs programme, is working to encourage ideas from people working in the NHS to improve services and help transform the current model which is under enormous pressure due to demand.

Sir Mansel added: “The NHS in Wales, like other healthcare systems around the world, is facing the twin challenges of rising costs and increasing demand, while continuing to improve the quality of care.

“We believe an approach where people and health professionals share power and work together in equal partnership to co-produce projects and activities in Wales will have a significant impact on our population’s health and wellbeing.

“The Commission is working to help our health boards embrace this shared way of working to allow the NHS Wales to refocus on people – not systems.

“Through a focus on innovation, the NHS in Wales can encourage and support both staff and patients to turn innovative ideas into reality. This will result in better care and outcomes.”

The Bevan Commission is currently working with all health boards and NHS Trusts across Wales to realise their full potential and linking with universities to create a series of Bevan Innovation Hubs. The network of hubs will draw together different areas of expertise and help to generate new ideas at pace and scale.

Professor Marc Clement concluded: “The creation of the Bay Campus was made possible thanks in part to the Prince's Foundation for Building Community, of which Prince Charles is president. The foundation worked with original landowners, British Petroleum and then Swansea University, to regenerate the site and help realise its vision for a “centre for knowledge and innovation that would revitalise the whole region”.

“The Bevan Commission absolutely fits with this vision and we are excited about its future here at the School of Management.”