Vaughan Gething: People living longer is, of course, something to be celebrated, but, as life expectancy improves, we know more people will develop dementia. Dementia is one of the biggest healthcare challenges that our generation faces. It’s estimated that between 40,000 and 50,000 people in Wales are currently living with dementia, although not all are diagnosed. Clearly, the impact of dementia in society...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the questions and comments, and I agree: as I said in my statement, we should celebrate the fact that more of us live longer. Our challenge always is: how do we live healthily and live well for longer as well? Part of the point you made earlier about reducing our risk or delaying the onset of dementia is that there is lots and lots of evidence about how we can help ourselves to...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for your comments and questions. I’ll start with where you ended, on the points about rural Wales, of course. I expect there will be comments from people from right across Wales, in both urban and rural Wales, on the reality of provision and support now, and what they want to see both in the strategy and in the delivery afterwards. There are points that both you and Angela Burns...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the comments and questions. I’ll start by answering some of particularly detailed ones. I welcome the fact that you welcome the broad strategy. Of course, the point of the consultation is to hear what people have to say about it and see what can be improved and actually delivered on the back of that as well. In particular, your points about the monitoring group on delivery,...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the comments and questions. I think, in terms of trying to deal with those, I’ve answered points about diagnosis, and I’ll look forward to hearing what the consultation says about what we’ve got in the plan, and what is realistic and achievable for us to actually deliver. Part of the point we’re trying to get across is that there’s a need to have a continuing increase...
Vaughan Gething: Yes, I’m particularly interested in hearing from social care providers as part of the consultation on what’s in here, about the experience of their staff and about the realities of delivering and providing the service, because the mix of that provision will differ in different parts of the country as well. Sometimes, that will be appropriate to what exists there, and sometimes there may...
Vaughan Gething: Yes, and thank you for the comments and questions. Again, we go back to the fact that this consultation draft has been drawn up working with people living with dementia now and we’re to hear from a wider range of people through the rest of the consultation’s period of time, because this isn’t about saying that once a diagnosis is made then that is it, because, actually, lots of people...
Vaughan Gething: Well, I’m not sure if the first point about someone who hadn’t spoken for years actually standing up and speaking when you were singing was a comment on your singing ability, or whether it’s about the impact of music on memory and triggering a reaction. But those points are well made about different activities that are not just about experience, but how you maintain someone’s ability...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, once again, Presiding Officer. I am pleased to announce that the new treatment fund is now established and I will be releasing, immediately, £12 million for the first tranche of funding for this year. The new treatment fund was a key commitment that we put before the people of Wales in May 2016 and we are delivering on that commitment. Our commitment was to invest £80 million...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the comments and suggestions and questions. I’ll try and pick up your final point about the drugs that you described as being effective but eye-wateringly expensive. Well, those drugs that are eye-wateringly expensive are drugs that are unlikely to be approved by NICE or the AWMSG. That’s why we have a recommended process: the benefit has to be in accordance with the cost as...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for your series of questions and comments. To be fair, I didn’t expressly deal with the question that Angela Burns asked about other new technologies, which you finished on as well. Indeed, this announcement is about a new treatment fund for medicines. There are other processes and means to assess the effectiveness or otherwise of other interventions, whether they’re talking...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for your comments and questions, and your welcome for the delivery of this part of the programme for government. I’m happy to reconfirm the point about the appraisal process for other new forms of technology. The new treatment fund we’re talking about is for the delivery of new and approved medicines. In terms of your point about horizon scanning for new medicines; that is part...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the comments and for the question. Of course, I monitor the use and the impact of the fund. It’s important not just to have a statement where we can say we’ve made a promise and we’ve delivered on it. We then need to make sure it’s doing what we thought it would do and providing that real benefit for individuals across the country. And, in doing that, there’ll be money...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. As I said through the statement—previous statements and today—this is about quick, consistent access to approved, effective medication. For those that are not approved through NICE or the AWMSG process, there is the individual patient funding request process—the IPFR process. Members are all aware that we have undertaken a particular piece of work with a...
Vaughan Gething: Formally.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I thank the Members who have taken part in today’s debate. And I’m sure that, not just yesterday and today, we will spend more time in this Chamber discussing the reality of winter pressures upon our health and social care services over the coming months. We all know that there’s been very real pressure over recent weeks in health and social care...
Vaughan Gething: Yes.
Vaughan Gething: I’m only aware of the headline issues in the particular point that you raise, but I think it is an isolated case. And, in fact, the evidence of our statistical evidence of what happens when people make calls is that the great majority of people receive a much faster response, both in red and in the amber category. And that is part of the point where I think we should be proud of what our...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I move the motion. I’d like to start by thanking the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee for their scrutiny of the LCM, and I note that they raise no particular objections. The UK Government introduced the Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs) Bill into Parliament on 15 September last year. The aims of the Bill are the clarify the UK Government’s...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. The health board reported against the milestones set out under the improvement framework in November last year, which highlighted good progress. I expect to see continued and sustained delivery of the required improvement outcomes before I can consider removing it from special measures.
