Vaughan Gething: I think you raise an interesting point about one in three people being in contact, but it also means that roughly two in three are not. So, there's a challenge about what we do if people are in contact with the health service as well as a broader societal challenge of actually persuading people to talk and to listen as well. On your point about what we are actually doing, there are two broad...
Vaughan Gething: I'm sure I'll have the opportunity during budget scrutiny to go into much more detail on those specific areas that we've got, but I'm happy to clarify the points you raise. Yes, you're correct: there'll be an extra £35 million—that is what I plan to invest in addition to what we already provide in mental health and learning disability services. The ring fence does still exist for mental...
Vaughan Gething: I have enjoyed working with Professor McClelland on a number of matters, in particular when she was the chair of the emergency ambulance services committee. I do value her contribution to the health service here in Wales. But, her view on the nature of a systemic problem is not borne out and not supported by a range of other people. I've referred to the OECD, and I've also referred to the...
Vaughan Gething: Yes, there are a number of managed practices across our system. As an overall percentage, it is still very small. However, I recognise there is a change in the structure of general practice that is taking place. We will see fewer small practices of single or double-handed practitioners in the future, because our ambitions for the delivery of general practice, as set out in 'A Healthier Wales'...
Vaughan Gething: I'll be happy to look into the matter and write to the Member and copy in other Assembly Members as soon as possible.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. Our 'Talk to me 2' suicide and self-harm prevention strategy identifies groups of people who are especially vulnerable and puts forward actions to address the factors that can contribute to suicide and self-harm. The midpoint review of 'Talk to me 2' reported good progress towards many of the actions within the strategy.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. As I've said earlier, we are taking seriously and taking forward our commitments made in response to the 'Mind over matter' report, with the first meeting of the jointly chaired ministerial task and finish group taking place earlier today. That was a constructive and positive meeting, so I'm looking forward to reporting on further progress in due course about what...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. I note the Prime Minister's recent commitments and, as I said before, I welcome that the current Prime Minister and the previous Prime Minister have been prepared to talk openly about the importance of mental health services. The challenge has always been whether they've been able to match their words with resources and action on the ground. Don't take my word for...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you. My priority for health services in the South Wales Central area, as with the rest of Wales, is to ensure that people have equity of access to safe, sustainable, high-quality and integrated health and care to meet their needs.
Vaughan Gething: I'm happy to give the Member the assurance that a similar approach is taken by each health board, together with its partners in the Welsh ambulance service, their common partners, together with local government and the third sector, and, crucially, now drawing in colleagues in housing as well to understand how there is a proper plan ahead of winter. The challenge and the test always is how...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. I recognise this is a subject that you raised with me very early on after your election, together with the leader of the council, about the need to improve the facilities, and actually that is one of the first benefits to be seen. There will be fit-for-purpose, up-to-date modern facilities to replace what currently exists, and we sometimes understate the importance...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. Wales has seen a sustained decrease in new HIV cases. Since I announced the three-year PrEP study, which began in July 2017, 559 people have started on PrEP, and no-one in this cohort has contracted HIV.
Vaughan Gething: You make a completely fair point that once a branded, new medicine is available, there will come a period of time when generic ones are available, and it's work we've actually done across the whole service on making sure that generic products are used in preference wherever possible, because it doesn't remove the value, it improves the value, and it doesn't in any way diminish the efficacy of...
Vaughan Gething: Well, look, for those people who have started to take PrEP, we're really encouraged about the fact that no-one who was in that cohort has got HIV since starting. That's really important. But, as I said in my oral statement, we've been looking to get to people with the highest risk, and, so, we found other sexually transmitted infections within that group. That shows we're actually getting to...
Vaughan Gething: We recognise the vital role of independent advocacy in providing person-centred mental health support. The Assembly legislated for independent advocacy in our Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010. We will increase our investment in mental health services again next year to continue to improve the support that is available.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. I'm happy to say that we do monitor the provision of advocacy services across the country, and, actually, Betsi Cadwaladr currently meet our current standards to make sure that advocacy services are provided. We have quarterly assurance and reporting on the delivery of advocacy services. I can't go into the detail of the individual matter that you raise, but if you...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. Last week, I issued a written statement providing an update on the implementation of the out-of-hospital cardiac arrest plan and announcing the establishment of the Save a Life Cymru partnership. The Welsh Government will now invest £586,000 to fund the first two years of that project.
Vaughan Gething: Well, of course I'm interested. There are a range of individual third sector organisations that are actively promoting the use of, and the funding of, defibrillators, including, actually, their monitoring and maintenance as well. What we try to do, as part of this work, is to bring those organisations together to understand where gaps do and don't exist. I'm pleased that, yesterday, 75...
Vaughan Gething: Formally.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Llywydd. I'm grateful to the opposition for tabling today's debate. The overall sentiment—delivering high-quality services that meet high and increasing demand—is something on which I'm sure we can all agree, but obviously there are points of disagreement within the motion; hence a Welsh Government amendment. The parliamentary review, made up of a panel of independent experts...
