Angela Burns: I, too, would like to welcome this report today. I found it to be an energising and enlightening read, and I'd like to thank Dr Ruth Hussey and the members of her team for all the hard work they've done, but also for the engagement that they have offered to me and to my Welsh Conservative colleagues in bringing forward ideas and thoughts, and recommending people to go and talk to to get to...
Angela Burns: First Minister, a key finding of the parliamentary review into health and social care found that there was a plethora of national boards overseeing work programmes outside of organisational structures, and a clear recommendation was that these boards should be streamlined in order to ensure more effective delivery of public services. Notwithstanding the changes that might be coming along to...
Angela Burns: Will the First Minister outline what plans the Welsh Government has to review the NHS Wales escalation and intervention arrangements?
Angela Burns: —and I would urge you, Minister, to at least consider this. Thank you.
Angela Burns: I'd like to thank Janet Finch-Saunders for bringing forward this concept, and, Minister, I would urge you to consider it, because only yesterday we were having a debate about the removal of the defence of chastisement. We were talking about respect and respect for children, and sometimes I think we forget that older people also deserve that respect and that tolerance, because we think they've...
Angela Burns: They do indeed and, in fact, it is these dedicated and hard-working staff who have, over the last 10 days, raised a significant number of concerns with me. We've had royal colleges coming out with commentary and statements about the enormous pressure their staff have been under. I've met with royal colleges in the last few days, I've met with doctors, nurses, front-line staff and an ambulance...
Angela Burns: Thank you. It's a difficult question, and I use the term 'force majeure' very deliberately, because of course you'll know that that affects the levels of compensation, and it is also a reason why organisations can withdraw services. I've had a number of concerns raised with me by both small businesses and the general public where they feel they've been on the rough end of a deal where they've...
Angela Burns: 5. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the number of businesses adversely affected by force majeure? OAQ51502
Angela Burns: 1. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the crisis in the Welsh NHS this winter, in light of reports that services are at breaking point? 96
Angela Burns: Minister, I'd like to thank you very much for your statement today, and for the courtesy you have extended to both myself and my colleague, Darren Millar, who is unfortunately unable to be with us today, in going through your plans and your rationale behind the consultation. You will be aware that the Welsh Conservatives are a broad church that actually reflects the opinions, concerns and...
Angela Burns: Good afternoon, leader of the house, and may I wish you and all my colleagues here a very happy new year? I hope that 2018 brings us all a measure of health and peace. I do welcome your largesse in offering to bring forward, on behalf of the Government, a debate on the NHS, but I did pick out that you said 'in general'. And I would like very much to ask you to ask the Cabinet Secretary for...
Angela Burns: Will the First Minister outline the statutory processes that must be followed when public service organisations are subject to Welsh Government oversight actions?
Angela Burns: Thank you for that. I think it's really important, because you as a Government have agreed to meet a certain set of standards and, some years on—let's be frank, it's eight years on—those standards are nowhere near being met. Rather than having 16 full-time nurses, we should actually have 30 of those full-time nurses. Inflammatory bowel disease is a horrible set of conditions. It taxes...
Angela Burns: Well, if nothing else, I praise you for your honesty. Now, according to figures obtained from Crohn's & Colitis UK, in 2016, there were only 16 full-time equivalent specialist IBD nurses working across Wales. My own health board of Hywel Dda only has one IBD nurse and Betsi Cadwaladr has only got two and they have to cover a vast region. What are you going to be able to do to address this...
Angela Burns: Diolch, Presiding Officer. Cabinet Secretary, in 2009, the Welsh Government supported the national inflammatory bowel disease standards, which recommended a minimum of one and a half whole, or full-time equivalent, inflammatory bowel disease nurses per 250,000 of the population. Could you please tell me how you're getting on in meeting this target?
Angela Burns: This is a horrific story: a 10 per cent failure rate on average throughout the UK, and, my understanding is, throughout the world. One of the things that really concerns me is that these devices were allowed to be used because, although they had not been tested, they had gone through the medical devices process, under some sort of guidance-like similarity. I just wonder, Cabinet Secretary,...
Angela Burns: Cabinet Secretary, thank you. I welcome the passing of Stage 4 of the additional learning needs Bill yesterday, and noted with interest the statement you issued earlier this week on implementing the new code. However, I would like clarity on the advice that you are providing to local education authorities as to the interim measures that are in place now that the Bill has been passed. I've...
Angela Burns: 3. Will you provide an update on when the additional learning needs code will be published? OAQ51471
Angela Burns: Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on guidance issued for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence?
Angela Burns: First Minister, I listened to your initial answer to John Griffiths. I absolutely accept, and it was very clear during the public health Bill process, that Ministers are acutely aware of the need to improve our health and well-being by using sport and leisure. However, there is still a woeful level of interaction between those who are responsible for the commissioning of sport and leisure in...
