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NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee Shortlisted for National Healthcare Finance Award

The Value and Intelligence Team at the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee (NWJCC) has been shortlisted for the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) Awards 2025 in the category ‘Delivering Value with Digital Technologies’.  The nomination recognises their work reviewing services at the All-Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre (AWCFC) in Cardiff.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a lifelong condition that affects the lungs and digestive system. New treatments, such as Kaftrio, have transformed care, helping people with CF live longer and healthier lives.

However, changes in treatment meant the existing service contract was no longer fit for purpose. Without clear data on performance, there was a risk of inefficient use of resources and missed opportunities to improve patient care.

In May 2024, NWJCC launched a value-based review and created a digital dashboard that brings together information about patients, treatments, costs, and staffing. This tool integrates patient-level data from multiple sources, previously disconnected, to provide real-time insights into clinical outcomes, service use, workforce capacity and financial efficiency.

The tool analysed data from 2019 to 2024, key findings included:

  • People with CF are living longer, the median age has risen from 32 to 46
  • No CF-related deaths were recorded in 2023
  • Better care and new medicines saved the NHS £1.37 million a year, freeing up over 1,600 hospital bed days and 800 outpatient appointments
  • Admissions to non-specialist wards dropped from 43 in 2019 to just 1 in 2023, improving safety and infection control

This project shows how value-based healthcare (VBHC) works in practice. VBHC focuses on achieving the best outcomes for patients while making the most efficient use of resources. Instead of paying for the amount of care delivered, it looks at the value of the health results achieved compared to the cost.

Stacey Taylor, Director of Finance and Information said “I am delighted that the team has been nationally recognised for this work.

“Being shortlisted for this review of cystic fibrosis services highlights why VBHC matters to benefit patients and supports NHS Wales’ wider strategy for sustainable, high-quality healthcare.

“By using data and digital tools, NWJCC was able to measure real outcomes, , and plan services that deliver better care for patients and better value for the NHS and identify savings.”

The project was done in collaboration with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, and NHS England.

Saja Muwaffak, Head of Value and Intelligence at NWJCC said: “Being shortlisted for this award shows how collaboration and innovation can transform specialised services.

“By using data intelligently, we’re not just improving cystic fibrosis care, we’re creating a model that can be applied across Wales to deliver better outcomes for patients and make the best use of NHS resources.

The HFMA Awards celebrate excellence in healthcare finance across the UK, with winners announced at the HFMA Annual Conference in December.