Vaughan Gething: Yes. The British Dental Association are key stakeholders. I meet them during each year. They have access to meet the chief dental officer and her officers within her department. And you're right that the UDA, along with the contract, is an essential part of reform. Where we're actually seeing practices undertake the contract reform opportunities—it's changing the way they deliver their...
Vaughan Gething: Yes. I'm very clear about the way in which money that is allocated and earmarked for dental services should be used, and it should not be used to fill gaps in other budget lines when, actually, we recognise there is more for us to do to provide the quality of care and services that, as I say, each community in Wales deserves and expects.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for that question. The Cabinet has discussed our 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales' strategy, which is currently out for consultation, to agree eight priority areas on physical activity. I've since established a cross-Government implementation board; the first meeting that took place was attended by me and my colleague Dafydd Elis-Thomas. There are a range of programmes, such as the...
Vaughan Gething: Yes, I'm more than happy to continue the work that I and Dafydd Elis-Thomas have started with a range of Ministers with an interest. And, of course, the Minister for Education has a specific role and remit over what takes place within the school. There's a challenge about not just what takes place in the curriculum, but the broader culture within that school, but—obviously, with our...
Vaughan Gething: I recognise exactly the point you make and I'm, in politics, young—in real life, I'm a middle-aged man—and so I do remember going to school and the normal thing was that people walked, and you got a bus to school if your school was further afield. There were very few cars around the primary school that I attended, and yet, in most of my constituency and in most others, there are a...
Vaughan Gething: Well, every department needs to think not only about its own individual priorities, but actually priorities for the Government, and on a number of the areas—this is only one example—what is a Government priority with a lead Minister requires action by a number of other people to make it real. That's exactly what we are aiming to do. I will, of course, be responding to the Health, Social...
Vaughan Gething: Whilst rates in Wales have remained static over recent years, the Welsh Government remains committed to increasing the uptake of breastfeeding. A national work programme has been established, involving clinicians, service leads, Public Health Wales and other stakeholders, including, of course, women themselves, focusing on improving breastfeeding rates in maternity and early years settings.
Vaughan Gething: I couldn't tell you about the figures on outcomes from the Newport project, but I'll happily look at it. I realise that that's an issue that has been raised in the Chamber by our colleague Jayne Bryant. But I think that, in many ways, the most important term used there was about 'normal', and breastfeeding is normal and the challenge is that it has been denormalised in lots of situations....
Vaughan Gething: I recognise the points the Member made, following the report that was published following the unannounced inspections that Healthcare Inspectorate Wales undertook in October of last year. Some immediate actions were taken and they have recruited more staff into the midwifery service within Cwm Taf. And it's important to recognise that this isn't just about the point at which people give...
Vaughan Gething: People affected with miners’ pneumoconiosis are able to access the relevant lung function tests, chest x-ray, and, where appropriate, CT scan. We also have important work being taken forward through the respiratory health implementation plan, to improve respiratory services in Wales more broadly.
Vaughan Gething: I would expect the appropriate use of diagnostic tools, as opposed to saying, 'Someone is a former miner, therefore they'll have a CT scan'. It's about understanding the symptoms they come in with. Because, actually, pneumoconiosis in its early stages is asymptomatic—it can take some time, depending on the person and their own make-up, as to when it becomes symptomatic, and how that's done....
Vaughan Gething: Improving health for everyone is a central ambition of 'Prosperity for All' and 'A Healthier Wales'. Welsh Government, in partnership with Public Health Wales, health boards and local authorities, are working to deliver our priorities to improve population health. Central to this is support for targeted interventions to encourage healthier lifestyles.
Vaughan Gething: People regularly ask how the transformation fund can be used to support a different range of activities. I think this is straightforward public health work, and how we support people to quit, how we have healthier messages about not taking up smoking in the first place, and then how we support people to reduce and then stop smoking as well. Our vision is to have a smoke-free society, and...
Vaughan Gething: Our neurological conditions plan sets out the Welsh Government's commitment to ensuring those affected by any kind of neurological condition have timely access to high-quality pathways of care irrespective of where they live and whether they're delivered through hospital or community settings.
Vaughan Gething: I had the opportunity to visit the Bobath centre the day after the launch of the register and it was part of the discussions that we had. So, I'm interested in the evidence base that's going to be generated from the work in Powys, and it's been really helpful that there's been engagement with a range of different people in trying to create that in the first place, because part of what we need...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Today's debate is a subject that we have discussed on numerous occasions. As with Paul Davies, I make no apologies to Members—they will hear me reiterate again why services across our national health service must change if we are to provide the health service that the people of Wales need and deserve. That is true for services not just in Pembrokeshire,...
Vaughan Gething: There will always be contentious choices to be made in every single part of Wales. We, of course, must continue to engage and confront those challenges by having difficult conversations and by addressing them with clinically led choices, because, if we do not, change is less likely to happen until a point of crisis and a service collapses. We either allow change to happen to us in a chaotic,...
Vaughan Gething: Yes, I'd be happy to.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question and the two points. I’m happy to reconfirm the statement set out yesterday by the First Minister. It reconfirms what the health board themselves have said. There is absolutely no threat to 24/7 deliveries being made at the Withybush midwife-led unit, and I do hope that will put an end to the scaremongering that is taking place. It is actively scaring members of...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Llywydd. I move the motion. The regulations that we will now debate make necessary changes to domestic legislation applying in Wales on food and food hygiene, and safety, food labelling and compositional standards. These amendments are required to correct deficiencies in the legislation if the United Kingdom leaves the European Union. The Welsh Government's priority is to maintain...
