The Minister made the announcement at the first meeting of the new Efficiency and Innovation Programme Board – an Assembly Government-led partnership bringing together local government, trade unions and the third sector to build stronger collaboration and drive improvements in services.

Four projects have received funding under the second round of Invest-to-Save fund, which provides interest free loans to public service providers to help them make their services for efficient.

The Minister said:

“I am pleased to be able to announce today that the first projects to receive Invest-to-Save funding from the second round focus on improvements in the NHS. Consideration of the other projects is continuing and there will be further announcements in due course. The total number of projects receiving Welsh Assembly Government from the Fund now stands at 29,  with a total investment of £13.5 million.”

The latest projects to be approved are:

• The development of a new unit at Ysbyty George Thomas for mental health patients led by Cwm Taf LHB will provide better quality services for patients from RCT and Merthyr Tydfil. Reducing the numbers of referrals out of the area and care co-ordination managed locally will produce efficiency savings of £600,000 per annum.
• The All-Wales collaborative procurement project led by Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University (ABMU) Health Board will develop procurement arrangements across the new Health Boards helping to minimise spending without effecting front line public services and delivering financial savings of £3 million per annum from 2011-12.
• The reconfiguration of Molecular Pathology Services by Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust will unify 5 existing diagnostic laboratories into a new service which will lead to an improved public service with an increased capacity, faster throughput and efficiency savings of up to £0.7 million.
• The Medicines Management Pilot led by Informing Healthcare will redesign the medicines management processes eliminating delays, deliver patient medicines earlier resulting in quality delivery with efficiency savings of over £1million per annum.

The Minister said:

“These projects will save money but also lead to better services. Innovative projects like these showcase what can be achieved by working together, reducing duplication and providing value for money – releasing valuable savings which can be reinvested into essential front line services.  

“It’s appropriate that I am making this announcement at the first meeting of the new Board, as our focus is on working together to become more efficient and innovative in the way we deliver services. The public sector faces huge challenges in the current climate and it is only through increased collaboration that we will be able to meet these challenges and provide high quality, citizen-centred services.”

http://wales.gov.uk/news/latest/100318invest2save/?lang=en