Reductions in healthcare services in Wales

Request

Please provide any information held by the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) relating to assessments, reviews, investigations, or checks carried out in connection with reductions in healthcare services and/or workforce levels Welsh NHS organisations or health boards during the last three years (from 1 July 2020 to the 29th June 2026).

Specifically, I request:

1) Details of all investigations, reviews, or inquiries (formal or informal) conducted by HSSIB that relate to:

• Reductions in clinical or non-clinical services.
• Workforce reductions, staffing shortages, or restructuring impacting staffing levels.

2) For each relevant investigation or activity, please provide:

• The name/title of the investigation.
• The organisation(s) or health board(s) involved.
• The date(s) the investigation was conducted.
• A summary of the scope and objectives.
• Key findings and conclusions.
• Any recommendations made.

3) Any internal reports, briefings, correspondence, or risk assessments produced by HSSIB which consider:

• The impact of service reductions on patient safety.
• The impact of workforce reductions or staffing pressures on patient safety.

4) Any criteria, frameworks, or methodologies used by HSSIB to assess risks associated with reductions in services or workforce.

5) If no formal investigations have been undertaken, please provide:

• Any documented rationale or policy explaining HSSIB’s approach to these issues.
• Any discussions or considerations of whether such investigations were necessary.

Please provide the information in electronic format where possible.

If any part of this request is unclear or likely to exceed cost limits, I would be grateful if you could contact me to refine the request.

If any exemptions are applied, please specify the exemption(s) relied upon and provide the reasoning, along with any partial disclosures where possible.