The People's Principles
Helping shape the future of health and social care in Wales
The People's Principles were developed from conversations with thousands of people across Wales about the health and social care services they want now and in the future.
They reflect what people told us matters most when accessing health and social care services and provide a shared vision for how services should be designed and delivered.
At Llais, the principles also help inform our work to:
- listen to people's experiences
- represent people's views
- influence decision-makers
- promote positive change in health and social care
This marks an important step in a longer journey. It sets out clear views shared by people from across Wales about how to build a health and social care system that is effective, compassionate, fair and trusted. A system that supports independence, values carers, and works around people rather than organisational boundaries.
The People's Principles
Care should be accessible whenever it is needed - online, by phone, or in person - without barriers caused by geography, language, or digital exclusion.
People want to be listened to, believed, and treated with kindness at every stage of care.
No one should be left out. People want timely updates, plain language, and honesty about delays.
Services should work together around the person, so people don’t have to repeat their story or find their way through services alone.
Care where and when people need it is essential for safety, well-being, and trust. When waiting is unavoidable, support and clear communication should ensure people never feel forgotten.
People want services that understand their unique circumstances, treat them with compassion, and consider all aspects of their health and life, not just a condition.
Care and support should help people live with dignity, connection, and choice. Meaningful support for unpaid carers is needed, including respite, advice, and emotional support.
Care should reflect rights and identities, and remove barriers related to language, culture, disability, and digital access.
The Health and Social Care We Want report
From July to November 2025 Llais engaged in an all-Wales conversation with thousands of people through national and community events, one to one conversations and through health and social care networks and associations. This was an opportunity to share experiences of health and social care as part of the Health and Social Care We Want project.
We spoke with people juggling impossible waits, carers stretched to breaking point, and people who told us what keeps them going, what gets in the way, and what they want to be different.
A core message that ran through everything people shared with us was that; people want a health and social care system that treats them like human beings, not numbers.
They want to be listened to, to receive joined up care, to have honest communication, to be supported before things reach crisis and they want decisions that are person-centred.
They also shared a deep sense of pride in the dedication of front-line staff, who so often make the difference between fear and reassurance. Many told us: “The staff are doing their best, the system just makes it hard.”
This report is based on what thousands of people told us during this project about what matters most for the future of health and social care in Wales. The eight principles we share here come directly from their experiences.
It’s important to note that these themes aren’t new - they match what we’ve been hearing since Llais became operational in 2023. This shows that people’s priorities have stayed the same across Wales.