24th January 2017

City Deal will accelerate transformation of health & wealth in South West Wales

A £1.3billion investment plan for South West Wales will help accelerate the progress of the unique ARCH partnership, which is working to transform health services in the region, according to health leaders.

ARCH chair and ABMU chair Professor Andrew Davies said the multi-million pound City Deal would be a welcome boost for the area. Professor Davies said: “The City Deal is crucial for this region. The deal will help us deliver projects within the ARCH portfolio.”

The City Deal bid has seen 4 local authorities, 2 health boards and Higher and Further Education come together with the private sector to secure a funding package which will help boost the economy, create new jobs and improve healthcare in this part of Wales.

The bid is made up of three elements – energy, economic growth and health and wellbeing. ARCH (A Regional Collaboration for Health) is a unique collaboration between Swansea University and ABM and Hywel Dda University Health Boards and forms the health and wellbeing strand of the City Deal bid.

The ARCH partners are working together to find a regional solution to major challenges facing the health service. These three big organisations have chosen to come together to action significant change at scale – and at pace.

Professor Davies added: “Nothing like ARCH has been attempted in Wales before with this level of ambition or on this scale. It is also the first time that the NHS has been involved in economic development at this level and the City Deal, in helping to transform healthcare services in South West Wales, will also deliver well-paid jobs and high-level skills.”

ARCH board member and Swansea University’s Dean of the School of Management Professor Marc Clement has been a key part of the City Deal bid work. He said: “We want the region to become a “living laboratory” – essentially a test bed for innovation which will enable transformation.

“We are delighted to hear a decision will be made in coming weeks. The City Deal will allow the ARCH partners to accelerate their work to improve the health, wealth and wellbeing of South West Wales.

“One of the main aims of the City Deal, and indeed ARCH, is to accelerate growth in our region for the benefit of the people who live here.

“We aim to create more well-paid jobs, more opportunity, deliver pioneering world-class healthcare, and ensure a better quality of life.”

He added: “ARCH is already delivering on some key projects such as the first intake of students on the innovative FE programme Talent Bank which has been supported by Fujitsu, and is co-located in the School of Management on the new Bay Campus, and the launch of AgorIP – a £13.5million EU-supported scheme which brings together academics, clinicians and industry to pioneer research into cutting-edge technologies and the opening of the innovative Health and Wellbeing Academy at our Singleton campus.

“A lot of work has gone into the City Deal bid, and the imminent announcement is proof that collaboration on a regional scale can action real change.”

The deal, with a total value of £1.3billion, is bigger than the capital City Deal signed in Cardiff last year. It is estimated approval would deliver a £3.3billion boost to the regional economy over 15 years, generating over 9,500 new jobs. Swansea Council said this week it hoped an agreement with UK ministers could be reached by the end of February.

ARCH board member and ABMU Medical Director Professor Hamish Laing said the imminent City Deal announcement would be a welcome boost for this area.

Professor Laing said: “ARCH means the region’s two University Health Boards and one of the leading universities in Wales are now working together to create a future of unprecedented innovation and excellence. We believe this powerful collaboration will help the citizens of our region share better skills and economic prospects which it turn will improve the health of our communities.

“The City Deal will help us accelerate our plans to develop Singleton and Morriston hospitals as health science campuses with a focus on hospital care at Morriston Hospital and Primary and Community care at Singleton.

“We welcome the close co-operation with our local authority and third sector partners, which is ensuring we can implement a joined-up approach across the region.”

£40million of City Deal funding would be dedicated to developing the health and wellbeing village in Llanelli while £15million would enable the first phase of the Morriston and Singleton health campus developments.

Phase 1 of the campus project will see the creation of an Institute of Life Science (ILS) at Morriston. Swansea University’s Medical School has already created two Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), which have created 800 highly-skilled jobs and secured £42million of investment in the area. Through ARCH, the ILS will be incorporated at Morriston to create a unique innovation environment. The Campus Phase 1 project is set to create over 800 direct jobs during the project timescale.

A Morriston Campus will expand research and innovation infrastructure in the field of genomics and proteomics and see the regional centralisation of pathology services at Morriston. The campus development will support creation of research collaboration and industry engagement facilities.

The reconfiguration of the Morriston site will also enable the first phase of  the Singleton Health Campus,  where a growing cluster of medical and other health technology companies/collaborations are focused. This campus expansion will deliver the delivery of the Medical School’s Healthcare Technology Centre (HTC).

Dean of the Medical School and ARCH board member Professor Keith Lloyd said: “The Healthcare Technology Centre (HTC) will focus on science and technology. It will help grow, develop and retain the healthcare and life sciences workforce, support the growth of research scale, quality and impact and create diversification of income through greater attraction of industrial and other income.

“We are excited to be part of the City Deal bid and look forward to the announcement from Westminster later this month.”