The Health Impact Assessments (Wales) Regulations 2025 are intended to apply to strategic decisions or actions of specified public bodies that could significantly impact population health. They aim to:
- Improve population health and well-being.
- Reduce the wider determinants of health and health inequalities.
- Embed health considerations into public decision-making.
- Support the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and Socio-economic Duty.
- Position Wales as a world leader in the application of public health policy and legislation
As part of the wider College strategy, RCPCH has been calling for child health impact assessments to be utilised for relevant government policies relating to children.
Responding to the introduction of HIAs, RCPCH Deputy Officer for Wales, Dr Dana Beasley, said:
We’re incredibly pleased that Wales will be the very first nation in the UK to mandate public bodies use Health Impact Assessments. The NHS alone does not have all the levers to reduce inequalities. The introduction of these regulations is a step in the right direction to ensuring health is embedded across all policies. This is very much needed in Wales, where high levels of child poverty are resulting in rampant health inequalities and hurting our most vulnerable families.
It will be the responsibility of the next Welsh Government to deliver this crucial work. As a College, we look forward to working with them to ensure these regulations are implemented as a useful tool alongside Children’s Right Impact Assessment in fostering collaboration and integration across public bodies and delivering change for children and young people across the nation.