HEALTH boards in Wales would be scrapped and one national hospital body would run hospitals in new plans announced by Plaid Cymru.

Elin Jones, the party’s shadow health minister, is to outline the vision to deliver a ‘Community NHS’, which will fully integrate primary, community, mental health and social services at a local level.

One national hospital body will be established to run Wales’ hospitals.

Addressing leaders in the sector in a keynote address in Cardiff Bay later today, Elin Jones will say that the changes will end the funding turf war between health and social care, getting rid of the administrative boundaries that prove infuriating for staff, and reducing unnecessary delays for patients.

They say plans will deliver a seamless service which will make it easier for patients to understand, and will reduce unnecessary delays.

Speaking ahead of her speech, Ms Jones said: “Plaid Cymru is today proposing the biggest change to the way care is delivered since the advent of the NHS in 1948. This is a once in a generation change, but it will deliver huge improvements to the way health and social services are delivered.

“Navigating the complexities of the health and social care system in its current form is confusing and time-consuming for patients, many of whom are in a vulnerable state. We need to make the system work better for them rather than against them.

“Plaid Cymru wants to cut away the unnecessary bureaucracy and deliver a Community NHS, which will mean that primary, community, mental health and social services are delivered and integrated at a local level. All of these services will be delivered by one organisation so that patients can have seamless access to services.

“Creating a National Hospital Board will allow for effective national planning whilst retaining all hospital services. In fact, Plaid Cymru will commit to protecting life-saving services within an hour’s reach for patients.

“Anyone who has waited for their social care package to be implemented, or who has a family member who has needed to move from health to social care services and will know that there are often long delays whilst they wait for bureaucratic decisions to take place.

“We want to create a seamless service, that treats our ill and elderly with care and dignity, rather than use them as pawns in a funding turf war.

“Plaid Cymru will deliver a Community NHS. By fully integrating health and social care services we will ensure that people get the care they need in their communities.

“The Party of Wales will put patients back at the heart of services, instead of protecting the territorial interests of organisations.”