Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. We continue to see problematic gambling as an emerging public health issue and need to do all we can to tackle it. We strongly urge the United Kingdom Government to take action, resist the pressure from the industry, and significantly reduce the maximum stake for category B2 gaming machines, which, of course, include fixed-odds betting terminals.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the series of points and questions raised. I've previously indicated in the debate around the chief medical officer's report that the Government will bring forward a statement on how we expect to use our new powers once we have them, and you can expect that in the near and not the long-term future. I know that some Members had an opportunity to meet the chief medical officer...
Vaughan Gething: I recognise the points you've made, and I think there's a good argument around them. As and when we respond publicly more formally to the Assembly with a statement, which I've promised on three occasions now, about our fuller response, we certainly do need to consider our relationship and what our bid should be. That's both partly about the Government and what we think the relationship should...
Vaughan Gething: I am pleased that the United Kingdom Government has listened to my repeated calls to lift the public sector pay cap and provide additional funding to reward NHS staff right across the United Kingdom. The NHS Wales Partnership Forum is meeting tomorrow to offer advice on how any consequentials could be used in Wales.
Vaughan Gething: I have a few comments to make in response. I genuinely welcome the fact that the pay cap has been lifted, but there are significant challenges that we should not forget that face partners of the national health service in other public services that still face a realistic pay cap as a direct result of eight years of austerity and continuing. We should remind ourselves that, for 'Agenda for...
Vaughan Gething: I'll happily deal with that last point first. We expect to improve our ability to plan for the current and future workforce through the creation of Health Education and Improvement Wales—we talked about that previously—and the way in which we're trying to pool the ability to do so between health boards and other organisations like the deanery and others too. That's a positive step...
Vaughan Gething: Doctors and dentists are covered by a separate review body process. Agenda for Change staff do not include those particular professionals. We are awaiting advice from the doctors and dentists review body, and we will, of course, report back to this place when we have that advice and a decision for us to make.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. In November 2016, the then Minister for Social Services and Public Health, Rebecca Evans, commissioned Public Health Wales to undertake a comprehensive review of sexual health services in Wales. The year-long review was carried out in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, and overseen by a sexual health programme board, chaired by the chief...
Vaughan Gething: Well, on the final point, the data is the best available. It allows us to make the conclusions that we can. There will always be more to do to improve the evidence we have to base policy choices on. That's not just in this area but in every other one. I don't think it undermines the nature of the recommendations or the work we still have to do, actually. I was pleased to hear you again...
Vaughan Gething: On the final point about the HPV vaccine, we'll continue to take advice from the relevant joint committee on the evidence base for undertaking any additional steps. We've already announced in this term of this Government—I believe it was Rebecca Evans in her former role who announced the extension of vaccination for men who have sex with men. There is still an ongoing debate. I know there...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for those comments and questions. I am pleased to see a large amount of consistency in issues being raised by spokespeople. I'll try and briefly cover the issues, rather than repeating what I've said in responses to both Angela Burns and Rhun ap Iorwerth on some of the points. I will, though, remind people that I've already indicated there'll be a plan—it'll be costed, it will be...
Vaughan Gething: On the first issue raised, I just want to be reassured that there is no bar to being able to make the progress I've indicated that I want to. So, it's about 'how' and 'how quickly' as opposed to 'if', from my point of view, and I recognise what you've said; I think it is helpful to make clear that we're not talking about changing treatment. We're talking about the place in which that...
Vaughan Gething: On the first point, I'm interested in the Cardiff issue that both you and Jenny Rathbone have raised, so I'll be happy to meet both of you at the same time to try and run through the localised challenges that you're both expressing. On the second issue that you raised, I too noticed the exclusion zone around providing abortion advice in clinics. It is something that concerns me about the...
Vaughan Gething: Diolch, Llywydd, and thank you to Angela Burns for continuing to raise this very serious issue. I want to start by recognising that sepsis can be a difficult illness to diagnose, particularly in elderly people, but also in children. And that is part of the challenge in dealing with this successfully. Sepsis is estimated by the UK Sepsis Trust to cause the deaths of around 44,000 people...
Vaughan Gething: Yes, happily.
Vaughan Gething: I really do recognise the case for wanting to raise broader public awareness, but there are times when you have to look people in the eye and say, 'I'm not sure the case is made to do that', and that is an honest reflection on the advice that I receive on the effectiveness of awareness-raising campaigns across a range of conditions. It's the reality of what, in part, my job involves: a fairly...
Vaughan Gething: The Welsh Government is committed to actively supporting health boards to meet the needs of the Act and understand what sufficient staffing looks like and will continue to work with health boards and trusts across Wales on approving IMTPs recognising that our workforce underpins services.
Vaughan Gething: We are committed to supporting Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to improve the delivery of cancer services for its population in line with the approach set out in the Cancer Delivery Plan for Wales. This includes a focus on earlier detection and rapid access to evidence-based treatment.
Vaughan Gething: The Welsh Government continues to invest in the health service in mid and west Wales. I announced recently £3m for Withybush Hospital and £25m for Glangwili Hospital. We are also investing £6.6m in Llandrindod Wells War Memorial Hospital. I will continue to work with both Hywel Dda and Powys Health Boards to address their future needs.
Vaughan Gething: When the major trauma network for south Wales is established, the vast majority of patients will continue to be seen and treated at their local A&E department. Only those patients requiring the highest levels of care will be treated at the major trauma centre.
