Vaughan Gething: [Continues.]—our commitment not just to medical education and training in north Wales, but to seeing a curriculum developed that encourages people and empowers people to go and spend more of their time in rural medicine, which won’t just be an issue for the north.
Vaughan Gething: We’ll be looking at the whole remit to understand where we get the greatest value to train the greatest number of people. And, of course, we want to make sure that that investment will lead to more people staying in Wales to serve here, because that’s the point and the purpose. We’re investing more money to try and get more doctors to stay in Wales as well. And, as part of the deal, the...
Vaughan Gething: Our public health priorities are set out in the recently published ‘Prosperity for All’ national strategy, which includes our updated 12 well-being objectives and the steps we will be taking to meet them. These include improving the health and well-being of workers and supporting an increase in people’s physical activity.
Vaughan Gething: The Welsh Government’s intentions were set out in November last year in the updated cancer delivery plan for Wales. Through the national implementation group, there will be a focus on early diagnosis, and health boards will continue to prioritise cancer waiting times.
Vaughan Gething: Our White Paper sets out our proposals in various areas of quality and governance in health and social care. We will also be consulting on amending the relevant local health board boundaries with regard to the Bridgend County Borough Council area to support effective partnership working.
Vaughan Gething: In November 2016, the Welsh Government commissioned Public Health Wales to carry out a comprehensive review of all sexual health services in Wales. Findings from the review are expected in early 2018 and will help inform the future direction of the service.
Vaughan Gething: Social Care Wales published their five-year strategic plan on 28 September. The plan sets out three overarching aims for the organisation of focusing on providing public confidence, leading and supporting improvement, and developing the workforce.
Vaughan Gething: We are currently discussing proposals with our partners in the LHB areas and will make a further announcement on the consultation as soon as those discussions are concluded. Welsh Government will be making a further statement on this during the autumn.
Vaughan Gething: The UK chief medical officers commissioned the UK Physical Activity Committee to consider the evidence calling for a ban on contact rugby for school age children. The committee rejected the call to ban tackling, and did not feel that rugby participation poses an unacceptable risk of harm.
Vaughan Gething: New regional partnership boards bring together health, social services and other partners to plan and deliver effective integrated services. Their purpose is to improve well-being outcomes and make best use of resources to support sustainability.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I’d like to update Members on the national planned care programme. This was established in 2014, with the aim to reform and improve NHS planned care specialities. The programme uses the expertise of clinicians in Wales to identify and promote best practice. Unless we are able to achieve reform and improvement in practice then we will not continue to...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for that series of questions, which I’ll be happy to respond to. On your first point about all the pilots and evaluation and whether all the evaluations are available: I couldn’t honestly tell you to hand, on each one of the list that you’ve set off, whether it is and isn’t available. What might be helpful, though, is if you write to me with the list of the particular areas...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the questions. I’ll start with: I openly want to challenge your assertion that there’s somehow an air of unreality in the statement that I’ve made. I think my job is to be balanced in what I say and do, and I make no apology for being both positive about what has happened, positive about the future, and at the same time frustrated that we haven’t done more. In my...
Vaughan Gething: In responding to the questions and the points made, I’ll start by repeating and then adding a little to some of the points that I made earlier about finances and the reality of services. You’re right: our current projections show that we’ll spend comfortably more than half of the Welsh Government budget on the health service in the medium-term future. That is because of the choice this...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you. I think there were a couple of comments and a couple of questions and I’ll try and answer promptly, Deputy Presiding Officer. On common ailments, I think you’re right—it’s a fair point to make—we want people to go and see the appropriate person in our system, or that they self-medicate and care for themselves. It’s why the roll-out of our community pharmacy...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I’m happy to get a lectern and respond to the debate. Thank you to Dai Lloyd for bringing the debate today, but also to Mike Hedges for taking part as well. I recognise the very real concerns that local Members in and around south-west Wales have about the future direction of not just policy, but the practical reality of what that means in terms of where...
Vaughan Gething: I thank the Member for the question. We continue to have a constructive conversation with both the British Medical Association and the Royal College of General Practitioners in Wales about the high cost of indemnity insurance. We have agreed with them to review how the market currently operates in Wales to help inform our options for progress. This Government remains committed to finding an...
Vaughan Gething: There are a number of points to respond to there. It’s worth reminding ourselves that indemnity insurance is a general issue across the UK, and it’s been an issue for some time. The need to do something about it has been accelerated by the announcement made by the then Lord Chancellor on the personal injury discount rate. There is a difference between those people that are working...
Vaughan Gething: I’m happy to reiterate that of course we’re engaging with the BMA, through their general practitioners committee in Wales, and the Royal College of GPs as well. We have been engaged with them in a meaningful discussion in advance of this announcement. And, of course, there will continue to be conversations with the UK Government. But, with all due respect to the comments that have been...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I’d like to thank both Members for their contributions in today’s debate, which is of course a significant and generally serious issue for all Members in all parties and all of the constituents that we are here to serve. I think there is genuine cross-party support for ensuring that all patients using our services receive safe, high-quality care and...
