Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. The Welsh Government continues to work with the Aneurin Bevan university health board and other partners to provide the people of Torfaen with high-quality health services that deliver the best possible outcomes for the people of Torfaen.
Vaughan Gething: I thank the Member for the question, and I do recognise that she has persistently and consistently raised this issue in this Chamber for more than one term, as well as in the meetings that I have been happy to have with you and a range of other Gwent constituency members who have taken up the issue with you. I said in health committee that I recognise there is a need for certainty, that I...
Vaughan Gething: It’s important to understand the views of people who use a service, both in terms of what works and what doesn’t work as well; it’s an important part of service improvement. So, we do need to listen to the voice of the service user to understand what doesn’t work. You grouped together those people who found that the service was average, as well as less than average too. So, I...
Vaughan Gething: The Welsh Government is committed to improving the provision of the neuroendocrine tumour services in Wales. The Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee has carried out a thorough review of south Wales services and is now working to implement improvements.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. In north Wales, people access a specialist service in Liverpool and there isn’t a particular issue about access. The challenge here in south Wales is how—. There is the ability, for people who wish to, to access services in England while we’re working on a model here. It is a specialist service and it’s a relatively rare indication. The challenge has been...
Vaughan Gething: On the particular part of neuroendocrine tumours, we do have a path forward where there is clinical leadership and a recognition of what we need to do. We’re awaiting the outcome from the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee. I think you’re asking a much broader question about cancer services in general. Of course, I indicated yesterday—I’m not sure if you were back at the...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. Abertawe Bro Morgannwg and Cwm Taf university health boards are working together on primary care services in Pencoed and Llanharan. They’re putting in place a joint working party to look at new ways to better meet local need.
Vaughan Gething: Yes. The Welsh Government was made aware of this situation by Betsi Cadwaladr university health board last week. I’ve been assured that the health board has taken action to ensure patient safety, and an investigation into the allegations has begun.
Vaughan Gething: I don’t think it is helpful to refer back to the particular events at Tawel Fan as a catch-all to try and beat the service across the piece in north Wales. There is a serious allegation that has been made about patient care, and I’m pleased, actually, that that member of staff felt able to raise that issue. The health board acted properly and appropriately. I think that’s an indication...
Vaughan Gething: Part of the challenge in dealing with a particular issue is that I think we’ve got a responsibility not to speak as if those fears are facts. The action that has been taken has been entirely appropriate in that they suspended staff as a neutral act to allow an investigation to take place. There will be an external person from outside Betsi Cadwaladr undertaking that investigation, and that...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. The report on the investigation won’t be for me, it will be for the health board, but I would expect they will make sure that Assembly Members are briefed. In fact, Assembly Members were briefed on this particular issue, and, again, it is to the credit of the health board—they were proactive in telling people about the problem, rather than waiting for it to...
Vaughan Gething: Primary care has an excellent future in Wales as the mainstay of a sustainable health system for future generations. We continue to invest further in primary care to increase the capacity and capability of the workforce, providing better access to more services within communities including services in the Cynon Valley.
Vaughan Gething: We are working closely with the NHS to deliver a major programme of improvements in CAMHS. The additional £8 million a year investment made in 2015 is already showing benefits with a 42 per cent reduction in young people waiting over 16 weeks from its peak in September 2015, compared to July 2016.
Vaughan Gething: I expect local health boards to maximise the use of minor injuries units, and all other available capacity in providing timely access to patients who do not have a serious injury but may require assessment and treatment. This should form part of an integrated unscheduled care system.
Vaughan Gething: I expect health boards to ensure that all patients, both new and follow-up, are seen in a timely manner based on clinical need.
Vaughan Gething: Work to tackle drug and alcohol addiction is undertaken through our substance misuse delivery plan 2016-18, which was published last month. The actions in the plan support our ambitions in ‘Taking Wales Forward’. We commit nearly £50 million per annum to this agenda, with a focus on reducing the harm substance misuse causes individuals, families and communities.
Vaughan Gething: Health boards are progressing with significant investment in neonatal services in both north and south Wales. This will further support the steady improvements in every health board’s achievement of the all-Wales neonatal standards since 2008.
Vaughan Gething: I expect health boards to plan and configure services that meet the needs of their people. This includes the provision of a sufficient number of hospital beds, deemed to be clinically necessary, to meet local expected demand, taking into account fluctuations in demand that occur throughout the year.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. In July, Members will recall that I presented the Welsh Government’s draft of the second delivery plan in support of our 10-year cross-government strategy, ‘Together for Mental Health’. I launched the finalised delivery plan yesterday to coincide with World Mental Health Day. The 2016-19 delivery plan sets out 10 priority areas for service...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the three questions. I’ll be happy to respond. I’ll take first your question about carers. In fact, of course, we talk about carers throughout the range of our different strategies and not just in this one too. They’re specifically mentioned in part of priority area 4, but that isn’t the only one of the 10 priority areas where carers are relevant. I would reference back...
