Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the comments. I met Chris Ruane some time ago around the work that he had done in the cross-party group in Westminster. There was a consensus there for a broader approach, and the politicians themselves have found the usefulness of a mindfulness approach. I’m pleased you recognise that it’s formally mentioned in the delivery plan as well. The challenge will always be: what...
Vaughan Gething: Yes, I completely agree. I think it’s important that the Assembly and the Commission are showing leadership in this area too, not only in signing up to the Time to Change Wales pledge, but in recognising that being able to go back to work, and being able to remain in work, is really important for maintaining people’s sense of self-worth and well-being. I think most of us here get some...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the series of questions. I’ll start with CAMHS. I recognise that we’ve had about a 21 per cent improvement in waiting times for people across Wales. However, the number’s still too high, and far too many people wait for too long. This still goes back to making sure that people who don’t need the specialist service have an alternative pathway for alternative support,...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the series of comments and questions. I'll just stick to dealing with the questions. Your question about psychological therapies—I indicated in my statement and partially in answer to Rhun ap Iorwerth and his series of questions, of course, that the money we’re talking about is going to be largely invested in staff to provide the therapies, and that's the point about how we...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the series of questions. I’ll try and run through them briefly and quickly, bearing in mind the directive we had earlier on. On the point about building resilience and social prescribing, I don’t think there is any conflict between this delivery plan and the terms of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act. I think there may be a challenge about the way people are...
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...
Vaughan Gething: So, a lot is about having the right staff in place. We recognise that there are still gaps in terms of where we want to be. It’s one of the few challenged areas, for example, in public services, as we have them now, where money is tighter, but there’s still a call for more staff in the NHS in different specialities. Our challenge will always be how we match up what we need and what we...
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 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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. 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: 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: 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: When I look at developments for telemedicine and telehealth, I don’t simply divide it up in terms of those particular budget lines. We look at what we can do and what infrastructure we need to make sure that people can access that service. For example, in eye care, you have a particular need for cameras, whereas if you’re talking about the access to talking therapies, then it’s a...
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.
