Community Assessment Day brings healthcare closer to home for rural communities
12 June 2026
More than 100 patients from across South Gwynedd benefited from faster access to specialist healthcare services during a successful Community Assessment Day (CAD) held in Dolgellau.
The event brought together physiotherapists, podiatrists and a range of health and community services under one roof, providing patients with assessments, and treatment plans closer to home and reducing the needs for multiple appointments or travel to main hospital sites.
More than 120 patients were seen during the day, with around 20 patients directly booked into appointments by GP practices in Bala, Dolgellau and Tywyn, helping them access specialist assessment much sooner than they otherwise might have.
Patients attending presented with a wide range of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions affecting all age groups, including joint pain, age-related conditions and exercise-related injuries.
The event also demonstrated the benefits of integrated working across healthcare teams. Fifteen patients were assessed by the Clinical Musculoskeletal Assessment and Treatment Service (CMATS), avoiding further waits and hospital based appointments. Seventeen patients were directed to the Falls team, with 12 receiving immediate assessment on the day, preventing the need for additional appointments. Six patients were transferred directly between podiatry and physiotherapy services, avoiding separate appointments, while five patients were seen by the Pelvic Health Team. Overall, the event helped avoid 38 secondary care appointments.
Patients were also able to access advice and support from third sector organisations and other Health Board services, including dentistry and the falls prevention team, ensuring they could receive the holistic support they required for their needs.
Gareth Bowen, MSK Specialist Podiatrist, said: “This event provided a significant benefit for patients at a time when average waiting times for physiotherapy and podiatry services are around 14 weeks.
“It is also a great example of how we can improve access to healthcare in rural communities by bringing services directly to local people. By having different clinical teams working together in one place, we can provide more joined-up care and reduce the need for multiple appointments.
“These events also provide valuable development opportunities for junior members of our teams, helping us to support and develop the next generation of clinicians while continuing to deliver high-quality care closer to home.”
The Dolgellau event is one of a series of Community Assessment Days that have taken place across Gwynedd and Anglesey, with another planned in Caernarfon later this summer.
Cathy Wynne, Head of Physiotherapy for the West Integrated Health Community at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: “The Community Assessment Days have been hugely successful and continue to receive positive feedback from patients and staff alike. They are helping us to reduce waiting lists, improve access to services and ensure patients receive the right care at the right time.
“For patients, it means quicker access to specialist advice and treatment closer to home. For our teams, it provides an opportunity to work collaboratively across services, which is both rewarding and beneficial for patient care. We look forward to building on this success through future events across Gwynedd and Anglesey.”
Across North Wales, teams have been developing and testing different community-based assessment models to improve access to care and reduce unnecessary hospital attendances.
It is hoped from these developments the Community Assessment Day approach can be adapted and rolled out more widely across the region.