Vaughan Gething: I've noted calls made for additional resources to be allocated to substance misuse services in anticipation of a potential increase in demand as people seek access to treatment or support. So, the Welsh Government will continue to work with area planning boards to ensure that, when this legislation is introduced, subject to the will of the Assembly, these services are there for those in...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Llywydd, and thank you to Members who have contributed to today's debate on the general principles of the Bill. There have long been calls for Wales to change its relationship with alcohol across political parties, and I expect this Bill to make a real and material contribution to reducing hazardous and harmful drinking and, ultimately, to save lives. I want to thank Members from...
Vaughan Gething: Formally.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Llywydd. I'm happy to indicate that we will, of course, update the regulatory impact assessment. A number of the points made by the Chair of the Finance Committee I tried to deal with in the general principles debate, in particular the points about the voluntary levy and the cross-border issues as well. On your point about a revenue decrease, officials from the Government have...
Vaughan Gething: Yes. Health boards in Wales are responsible for providing appropriate rheumatology services for their population. These services are provided in line with the directive for arthritis and chronic musculoskeletal conditions, which is currently being refreshed.
Vaughan Gething: Yes, I recognise the Member's consistent interest in the issue, including the debate that he helped to lead in July of last year. I indicated at that time that I was aware that there was a review being undertaken by WHSSC, as well as work on refreshing the directive. I said at the time that I'll take proper account of what the WHSSC review highlights, and I'm happy to repeat that assurance...
Vaughan Gething: Yes, that's part of the work that health boards need to undertake, and having a refreshed directive on the care they need to provide is part of that, to understand the care they need to provide and the workforce that will be needed to do that. And I'm also aware of Mr Camilleri's pending retirement in the not-too-distant future. So, there is some urgency about this matter and it can't be...
Vaughan Gething: Well, as I've indicated, this is an area of service review that's being undertaken. So, the WHSSC review will help us to understand, as well as the broader responsibilities of health boards that I indicated in the first part of my original answer to the question. So, it is about understanding what we need, where responsibility lies, and then seeing that provision actually take place. So, I'm...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. Tackling sepsis remains a top patient safety priority in Wales, with work continuing through the 1000 Lives improvement programme, which I know the Member will be aware of. That is to raise awareness and ensure early detection and treatment of patients with sepsis. This work includes peer review, as well as improving practice outside of acute hospital settings.
Vaughan Gething: Greater awareness amongst our clinical staff is one of our priorities, to detect symptoms and then to act appropriately. And that is work on the new system, the early warning score system—the first country to introduce it in 2012. That's helped us to improve on our record on sepsis. The outcomes that we then deliver—there's been a significant fall in deaths in Wales from sepsis in the...
Vaughan Gething: Yes. And, again, I welcome the recognition that you start off with about our national health service staff and other emergency service workers, local government workers, the third sector, and citizen volunteers, who made sure that the work continued. The range of stories of people who helped health service workers get in to do their job is really uplifting. On your specific point, I'm happy...
Vaughan Gething: Well, this is about making our services as accessible as possible. I'm sure, within this building, you'll have seen the range of posters in a variety of locations highlighting that sometimes all you need to do is listen to someone who wants to talk. Part of the challenge is that not everyone wants to talk and not everyone recognises the challenge that they themselves have. The more that...
Vaughan Gething: I recognise what you said at the start of your third question about stigma. There's still an unfinished journey in tackling stigma, both in the way people see themselves and mental health, as well as the way other people see mental health challenges, and in how we normalise the conversation about mental health in exactly the same way as we do with physical health challenges. I remember and...
Vaughan Gething: There are a couple of points that I would mention. I recognise that, of course, the diagnostic workforce are crucial not just to cancer, but a range of other services, in making sure that people are appropriately diagnosed and put on the road to either the certainty that they don't have the potential condition, or indeed have the opportunity to start treatment at an appropriate point in...
Vaughan Gething: There are a couple of different points there. The first is that, of course, we've invested more than ever before on the future education and training of the non-medical workforce—£107 million that I announced—and, at a time of falling public resource, to continue to invest even more in the workforce and their future training is a significant choice to make. There is something about...
Vaughan Gething: There are two brief points I'd make, Llywydd. The first is that, even without Lee Waters in the room, I recognise that artificial intelligence is absolutely part of the future. It's part of today and it'll become more and more a planned part of the way in which we deliver health and care services. It should help us in assisting clinicians to make choices; it should make our pathways more...
Vaughan Gething: Well, the system was one that we introduced about two years ago, and, when you look at where we were at the start of the new response model to where we are now, there's been a real and significant improvement over that time. Comparing this winter to last winter, there has been a fall in performance of a couple of percentage points, but we're still meeting our targets. The challenge, though,...
Vaughan Gething: I have to say I'm incredibly disappointed with the remarks made at the start, claiming the whole system is broken. That simply is not true, and you should be embarrassed to say such a thing.
Vaughan Gething: I don't hide—[Interruption.] I don't hide from the challenges for our staff or citizens. To use such deliberately inflammatory language about our healthcare system I think really does not reflect well on you, Rhun ap Iorwerth. I don't hide from the individual challenges. On either of the points you make, I obviously can't comment on what happened in individual cases, but I will remind you...
Vaughan Gething: Well, I make no apology for saying the NHS is not broken. I make no apology for being offended by the way you have approached this issue. I've met—[Interruption.] I've met—[Interruption.] I have met paramedics through the worst of times. When I was appointed as a Deputy Minister for Health at that time and meeting paramedics at that time, they were angry and they were despondent. They...
