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26th January 2026

Bevan Exemplar Showcase Highlights Innovation Transforming Health and Care

From reducing vascular waiting times by more than 50 weeks with a podiatry-led scheme to saving thousands of pounds by avoiding emergency hospital admissions from care homes, pioneering initiatives from across Wales have been celebrated at the Senedd.

More than 40 innovative health and care projects making real-world improvements for patients and frontline staff were presented at the Bevan Exemplar Showcase, held by the Bevan Commission, Wales’ leading independent health and care think tank. The event highlighted the work of the professionals the Commission supports in finding practical solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing health and care, and showcased the tangible benefits being delivered to patients, staff and communities.

The Bevan Exemplar Programme – now supporting its ninth cohort – provides training and mentorship to enable frontline staff and specialists to transform services from within to positively impact patient care, experience and health outcomes. The Exemplars represent all seven health boards in Wales, as well as key health organisations.

Some of the projects that the current Bevan Exemplars across Wales have implemented include:

  • Bringing Care Closer to Home, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (UHB): Providing timely, specialist care in care homes to promote independence, reduce avoidable hospital admissions and optimise the use of NHS resources.
  • Improving Cancer Waiting Times in Gynaecology, Hywel Dda UHB: Reducing the average waiting time from 178 to 29 days for women experiencing post-menopausal bleeding.
  • Podiatry-led Community Vascular Screening Pathway, Cardiff and Vale UHB: Reducing the average waiting time from 58 to six weeks to see a vascular consultant.

Exemplars Liz Hallett and Kayleigh Poulsom, who are pharmacists in Aneurin Bevan UHB, presented their project called ‘Optimising Medicines, Enhancing Lives’ on the role of clinical pharmacist reviews in improving outcomes and reducing waste in nursing homes.

Liz said: “Being part of the Bevan Exemplar Programme has been an incredibly rewarding journey for us. The Care Home Medication Review project has allowed us to make a meaningful impact on patient care, while also strengthening collaboration across primary care, complex care and care home settings.

“The programme provided a supportive environment to test and refine our ideas. Access to expert guidance and peer learning helped us grow in confidence and capability, and our experience has highlighted how structured innovation and collaborative working can lead to sustainable improvements in patient care.”

Exemplars Gareth Chapple and Joshua Lau, pharmacists at Swansea Bay UHB, have embedded a prescribing pharmacist into the cardiology multi-disciplinary team to improve safety, efficiency, and patient care.

Gareth said: “The Bevan Exemplar Programme has provided invaluable support throughout. The structure, visibility, and peer network offered by the programme gave me the tools and confidence to test, adapt, and spread new ideas. Being a Bevan Exemplar also opened doors for senior conversations and helped build momentum for change.”

Bevan Commission Director Dr Helen Howson said: “The Bevan Exemplars remind us of what is possible when bold ideas, courage and determination come together. These innovators are not just improving services, they are re-shaping the future of health and care in Wales from the ground up.

“Their work shows that even in the most challenging times, people on the frontline can spark extraordinary change. They proved that when we empower staff, trust their ideas and give them the space to lead, we unlock the very best of our NHS. Their achievements are helping to build a sustainable health and care system that is truly fit for the future.”

This year’s Showcase also included two awards, the Professor Sir Mansel Aylward Award for Outstanding Innovation and the Dr Daryl Harris Award, in memory of Bevan Fellow and Aneurin Bevan UHB Consultant Clinical Psychologist Dr Harris.

The Professor Sir Mansel Aylward Award was presented by Bevan Commission Director Dr Helen Howson to Consultant Geriatricians Dr Karina James and Dr Nia Humphrey and Consultant Anaesthetist Dr Margaret Coakley for their work on the Perioperative Care of Older People (POPS). This award-winning, clinically led innovation – a collaboration between Cardiff and Vale and Swansea Bay health boards – is transforming elective surgical care for older people across Wales.

The Dr Daryl Harris Award was presented by Daryl’s brother, Richard, to two recipients. They were advanced physiotherapist Chris Lambert of Swansea Bay UHB, for his role in developing the Orthopaedic Waiting List Initiative (OWLI), and clinical psychologist Dr Bethan Lloyd of Hywel Dda UHB, for developing the Women’s Health Psychology Service.