Vaughan Gething: Well, there is something here about understanding the proposals referred to earlier by David Rees, who talked about thoracic surgery and the major trauma centre. Those really are specialist health service consultations that need to take place. And my concern has always been that, if we avoid dealing with issues, then we'll allow ourselves to get into a position where the debate is more...
Vaughan Gething: I think there are two broad points there. The first is on the points you made about traducing Assembly Members and their efforts to engage in local health boards. I think it's really important that every Assembly Member engages with their local health board around the future of health services. We've just had a parliamentary review that set out again that the current way that services are...
Vaughan Gething: It's not as if Ministers are completely free from criticism and questioning of motives and integrity in this place. I think it is important that Members are open and honest with the public and this Chamber about what our views are and where we're going. And that's a standard for all of us to reach to as well. On your point about where we are now, Simon Thomas, with the proposals that may...
Vaughan Gething: Yes, I recognise the inconvenience caused to staff and patients in the national health service following the incident last week. It's not thought that it was a cyber incident, on the positive, and, indeed, that it was a technical issue, although widespread. All affected systems were returned to normal by 8 o'clock on the same day. There's a challenge about having caught up with any potential...
Vaughan Gething: I should start by saying it was remiss of me not to thank NWIS staff who worked hard to resolve the technical issue last week and to make sure the disruption was not more widespread, and, indeed, as I say, it was resolved within the day. On EMIS and the issue of systems to support GPs, I recognise it's a challenge because a significant number of GPs currently use one of those systems. I...
Vaughan Gething: I think that the issues are different, with respect. The issues about the data centres I don't think are the same as the software and support that we're talking about to support GPs to work in their practices. And I go back to the statement made by David Bailey, the chair of the BMA Welsh council, who is also a GP himself, and his practice actually uses EMIS systems. He's recognised that it...
Vaughan Gething: We are giving detailed consideration to the many consultation responses to the proposals in our recent White Paper, in which changes to community health councils are one. Officials and I remain in discussion with representatives of the CHC board regarding their constructive response to the White Paper. A consultation summary report will be issued in due course.
Vaughan Gething: As I've said, we are gathering together the consultation responses, and we do continue to have a very constructive dialogue about how to take forward proposals, but I think all of us want to see a new citizen-voiced body that is able to properly cover the fields of health and social care, and you can't do that without replacing CHCs, because their current remit set out in primary legislation...
Vaughan Gething: This has been part of the very sensible and constructive conversation that we've had: how do we make sure that there is a genuine patient voice, a citizen voice, across health and social care? How is that organised in a practical way to take on board the parts that have been successful within our system and to deal with some of the challenges that no-one suggests have worked well? Part of the...
Vaughan Gething: Dealing with your second point first about the broader planning process, of course it's a conversation across the Government about our planning system, and the way in which, when new residential properties in particular are created, there's an impact on wider services, such as the health service, which is an obvious one, and with schools being another one and transport being obvious parts...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you. I expect health boards in South Wales West to provide safe and effective primary out-of-hours services to respond to urgent healthcare needs when GP surgeries are closed. In South Wales West, that point of contact and access is now the 111 service.
Vaughan Gething: I think the Member comes to the point about the future of local healthcare. It goes back to some of the questions that we touched on earlier on. Trying to run the current system that we have is a recipe for failure for the future and there was a very clear message in the review for all of us to take on board. In this Chamber, we've had a number of conversations about the future of local...
Vaughan Gething: Yes, and I think that's the point: if needed, and who is the right healthcare professional. Part of the success of 111 has been the fact that most of the system that was introduced in England was actually a group of non-clinical call handlers with an algorithm—a script to go through. Often that was rather more cautious and ended up directing people into accident and emergency departments...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for bringing your copy again. The national framework sets out a process for the NHS, working together with local authority partners, to assess health needs, decide on eligibility for continuing NHS healthcare and commission and provide appropriate care for adults in a consistent manner across Wales. It is currently subject to review.
Vaughan Gething: I think that it's a fair point. Following on from the question you asked the First Minister—and I recognise the point you made about social services buy-in—we'll need buy-in from health and social care into both parts, in particular not just around transition, but actually just getting the system right. So, in reviewing that, we do expect partners and other stakeholders to be involved,...
Vaughan Gething: I do understand the concern that's being raised, and I'm sure that, as with other Members, I've had constituents approach me in my local Member capacity with some concerns about the process in the past. It is my understanding that there's been a significant improvement in dealing with that backlog of claims, to try and resolve them, and I have received assurance that health boards have...
Vaughan Gething: Yes. The Welsh Government is committed to improving neuroendocrine tumour services. The Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee commissions care for patients in north Wales, and is working with health boards to implement the recommendations of its service review for south Wales to look at how patients can be better supported.
Vaughan Gething: Well, let me start by recognising the achievement of the Member's constituent, Janet Lewis. I'm always pleased to hear of yet another healthcare professional in Wales being recognised by her profession for excellence and achievement. It does say something about the fact that we are improving a range of our services here in Wales, which is not always recognised in other parts of the United...
Vaughan Gething: This comes back to one of our challenges. I would always like it to be the case that we could have a screening programme that was effective in terms of the value that we get from it, in terms of money and also the outcomes and helping us to identify people early. But part of our difficulty in this area is that there isn't a full understanding of what causes neuroendocrine tumours. As with...
Vaughan Gething: The Welsh Government directly funds a number of national organisations, services, programmes and settings-based approaches aiming to prevent ill health. These include smoking cessation services, immunisation programmes and healthy schools and workplace programmes.
