Vaughan Gething: I recognise some of the comments that you've made about the historic nature of some of the challenges that the board faced at its inception in the way it was organised. That was set out in the Ockenden report we're discussing today, and, indeed, that was set out in the HASCAS review, and it's been really clear that the structure that was implemented at the time was not implemented in an...
Vaughan Gething: I'll start with your final point, because your colleague Rhun ap Iorwerth also talked about structure and restructure and what that might mean. I'm not clear at all what you're proposing in terms of the restructure of the health board, because we need to be clear about whether you're talking about more than one health board, how it would be achieved and how that would actually deliver better...
Vaughan Gething: As I have said, there is an 18-month improvement framework with a range of measures that we will test the health board against, and that won't just be my assessment; it will be the advice that is given by the chief exec of NHS Wales, the Wales Audit Office and Healthcare Inspectorate Wales. That assurance is not just the Government marking its own work or coming up with a convenient excuse or...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you to the Member in charge for his statement and for the conversations we have had over a period of time leading up to today. The Welsh Government remains committed to supporting and improving the range of services available for children and adults with autistic spectrum disorder, their families and carers. Whilst Wales has led the way in the UK...
Vaughan Gething: Welsh Government recognises the important role provision of registered after-school clubs play in supporting families. The clubs not only provide valuable opportunities for school age children to play, develop skills, and make new friends, but also support working parents ensuring their children are cared for in a safe appropriate environment.
Vaughan Gething: The approach is set out in the Respiratory Health Delivery Plan for Wales, which was updated and published in January. The Plan includes a national work stream for Interstitial Lung Disease and the establishment of regional specialist teams to support local care.
Vaughan Gething: Timely complaints handling is a key measure in the NHS Delivery Framework and performance overall is showing a year on year improvement. This will continue to be monitored closely to ensure the target of 75% of all complaints being resolved within 30 days is met.
Vaughan Gething: I work closely with my colleague, the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services to ensure there is effective engagement between Local Health Boards and their Local Authority partners across the range of their respective responsibilities.
Vaughan Gething: The Cancer Delivery Plan for Wales 2017-2020 sets out our approach to detecting and diagnosing cancer. People referred for urgent suspected cancer should be diagnosed and begin definitive treatment within 62 days. I am pleased to note continued improvements in one and five year survival for cancer patients in Wales.
Vaughan Gething: We recognise that some STIs are increasing. Implementation of the recommendations of the review, supported by alternative models of service delivery, will allow for improved access to testing and treatment. Pilots of the alternative models are underway and will report at the end of the financial year.
Vaughan Gething: NHS Prosthetic and Amputee Rehabilitation services are delivered by three specialist Artificial Limb and Appliance Centres. NHS Wales does not provide microprocessor knees for civilians; however they are available to war veterans in line with the criteria set out in the WHSSC War Veterans Enhanced Prosthetic Provision Commissioning Policy.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. Our stroke delivery plan provides a framework for action by health boards and trusts, working with their partners. It sets out the expectations of all stakeholders to prevent, diagnose and treat stroke in people of all ages and to ensure they can return to independence as quickly as possible.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. It does highlight some of the challenges we face in trying to generate both integration and joint services between health and local government partners together with the third sector, but also some of the undeniable challenges we face with continued reductions in public funding. The good news is, of course, that overall, we're seeing stroke survival rates...
Vaughan Gething: Yes, you're right to point out the role of allied health professionals and frequently in our debates about health in this place, we talk about doctors, and maybe nurses, and we ignore lots of the other healthcare professionals who are important in making the whole system work. And in this area, early rehabilitation, it is that earlier access to a range of different therapists that makes...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question in your new role on the back benches, figuratively at least. I expect all health boards to plan and provide services that meet the needs of their people. This includes the provision of sufficient numbers of beds in different settings across our healthcare system to meet local and national expected demand. That, of course, must take into account the fluctuations in...
Vaughan Gething: I thank you for that question. I really do wish you well in your new role in the Chamber. I expect to see you on many occasions in these questions, no doubt. When you actually look at our bed numbers, last year we had over 400 additional beds throughout the whole system created to deal with winter pressure. So, that's essentially the size of a reasonably sized district general hospital of...
Vaughan Gething: I recognise the distressing picture that you paint, which spells out people's real experience within our system. We regularly talk about when healthcare goes right—as we should do to celebrate that, as we have done this year—but we recognise that when healthcare goes wrong it can have a significant and continuing impact on people's general health and well-being. I'll be more than happy to...
Vaughan Gething: I recognise the point you're making, and we've had several discussions outside the Chamber about issues in ABMU and I know you've been engaged directly with the health board. In terms of the health boards discharging their responsibilities on this issue, they of course need to have a plan about the appropriate number of beds in the appropriate part of the system and the staff to go with them....
Vaughan Gething: I welcome Angela Burns back following the reshuffle. I look forward to many continuing jousts of varying natures and temperatures. The guidance you refer to has already been issued. We've already issued guidance about the use of the criteria for the transformation fund. And, more than that, in terms of the second part of your question—the confidence that we'll see real progress—I've made...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for that. I can confirm that the national board has already met, and its role is to have oversight for the progress in delivering 'A Healthier Wales', rather than, effectively, providing a second decision-making course for individual regional partnership boards agreeing on bids they want to make for transformation. That will still be my officials looking at those bids and then...
