ALL primary care facilities - such as GP surgeries and clinics - in Wales are being reviewed, to identify where modernisation is needed, and what form that should take, to create better environments for patients and staff.

The review is being carried out by the Welsh Government and healthcare infrastructure specialists Archus - and through a survey, they are keen to hear the views of patients, staff and primary care providers as to what improvements might be needed.

The views of NHS Wales partner organisations such as councils, and the charitable and voluntary sectors, are also being sought.

The review will take into account the physical condition of buildings, their suitability in terms of the services they provide, the use of space within them, and their safety.

The aim is to use the findings to create a new, patient-focused primary care estates strategy, which will guide the development and provision of timely care in modern, fit-for-purpose facilities.

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This will likely involve the creation of new surgeries and clinics where required, alongside the extension and/or refurbishment of existing premises, where appropriate and subject to funding.

It is four years since health minister Vaughan Gething identified 19 primary and community care projects across Wales in a strategy that came with a pledge of £68m of investment, subject to the completion and business cases and funding approval.

It was described at the time as the biggest targeted investment by the Welsh Government in primary and community care infrastructure, and has enabled the likes of the Tredegar Health and Wellbeing Centre project to progress from drawing board to building site, and plans for a long-awaited Newport East Health and Wellbeing Centre to progress.

But issues with primary care facilities and access to them, remain across Wales, and with the healthcare agenda firmly set towards providing care closer to home - and ensuring equal access to that care - the review is an opportunity for policymakers to determine the extent of the task required to fulfil it.

Consultation on the issues within the review is ongoing, as the deadline has been extended until Monday March 1.

For more information, and for details of how to access the survey, visit https://abuhb.nhs.wales/files/news/future-of-primary-healthcare-in-wales-english-rev-pdf/