IWA conference.
Parc Hotel, Cardiff.
Chair: Sir Roger Jones
Investing in health is about far more than sustaining NHS Wales. Good health is good economics - more healthy people in work means a higher GVA. But private sector health-related businesses are also an important part of the Welsh economy. Wales has some 290 companies working in medical and life sciences sectors, with a diverse and active profile. They have been identified by the Welsh Government as key sectors for economic development and for its future science policy. The sector includes manufacturers, service providers, contract research centres, business support organisations – working alongside clinical and life science academic institutions of international standing. These include Gene Park at Cardiff, the Institute of Life Sciences at Swansea, and the creation of the Wales Institute of Neuroscience as a collaboration between Cardiff, Bangor and Swansea Universities. What is the potential for growth? What needs to be done to incentivise further development? How can the NHS assist economic development? Could the private sector make a bigger contribution to meeting Welsh health needs and to alleviating forecast budgetary pressures in the NHS? Are policy changes needed both in relation to the NHS and higher education research? This conference will profile the sector and assess the policy implications of its relationship both to science policy in Wales and to Welsh health needs.
Keynote speakers: Professor Sir Mansel Aylward, Chair, Public Health Wales; Professor Ceri Phillips, Department of Health Economics, Swansea University; Gwyn Tudor, Forum Manager, Medi Wales; Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, Deputy First Minister and Minister for Economic Development, Welsh Government; David Perry, Chief Executive, European Care Group; Rod Palmer, Performance Health products