Lynne Neagle: Will you take an intervention?
Lynne Neagle: I'm not sure whether you recall the numerous reports the Children, Young People and Education Committee did in this area, but our landmark one, 'Mind over matter', recognised that, actually, waiting times had significantly improved and that the focus needed to go to early intervention. Maybe you ought to have a look at some of those reports.
Lynne Neagle: I'm going to cover that.
Lynne Neagle: Formally.
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, Llywydd, and thank you to Plaid Cymru for bringing forward this important topic for debate. The Plaid Cymru motion today calls for 'stronger commitment, enhanced resources and measurable targets.' As our amendment acknowledges, we are not complacent, but we do have a long-standing commitment to preventing and tackling the harms associated with alcohol use and a robust record of...
Lynne Neagle: Formally.
Lynne Neagle: Thank you very much, Heledd, for that supplementary. As you've highlighted, social prescribing is a really good way of linking people to community-based, non-clinical support, and that needs to be a holistic approach that recognises that people's health is determined by a range of social, economic and environmental factors, and as you've highlighted, that's not just about tackling loneliness....
Lynne Neagle: We are developing an all-Wales framework to support local action to increase the use of social prescribing. My officials are engaging with a range of stakeholders on the proposed model, which will be published for consultation next month.
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, Natasha, for that question, and absolutely I agree that we need to have tailored messages. Our engagement through the pandemic was very proactive in that regard. We contracted a specialist ethnic minority engagement agency. Materials for specific communities were co-produced with individuals from those communities, with quote card images of community leaders explaining about things...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you very much, John, for that question. As you've highlighted, the pandemic laid bare, really, the health inequalities faced by black and minority ethnic communities, and that's why the First Minister established the group to look at those health inequalities, which are a priority for us. I'm really grateful to Muslim Doctors Cymru for the work that they did. I know that they helped us...
Lynne Neagle: Action to target strong public health messaging to Wales’s black, Asian and minority ethnic communities is embedded across our public health prevention work, to help people maintain a healthy weight, stop smoking, and support their mental well-being. We are committed to tackling the health inequalities that we know these communities experience.
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, James. And what you've said is really important, because obviously we don't want young people's problems to escalate. That's why our whole emphasis in Welsh Government is on early intervention and making sure that children and young people have the support at an early opportunity, preferably in the environments where they live their lives, such as school. So, we've got a...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, James. Clearly, the online safety and harms Bill is an important vehicle to try and tackle some of the problems that you've alluded to, which I know you've raised before in this Chamber. You are right in that digital is not devolved to us, but there are discussions that take place between officials in Welsh Government and officials in Westminster, and I'm in particular looking at...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, James, for that question. And I'm very pleased as well to place on record my recognition of the fact that this is Mental Health Awareness Week, and I'm aware that there are lots and lots of activities going on, and efforts, to raise awareness. You'll be aware that we provide funding to quite a number of third sector organisations—some directly, others through the funding that we...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, Peredur. We've all been horrified by what we are seeing, and the trauma that people are experiencing in Ukraine is unthinkable, really. I'm pleased that we are taking a different approach in Wales with our supersponsor programme, which will mean that, when Ukrainian refugees arrive in Wales, they will be linked up with appropriate services. We'll be making sure that they register...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, Peredur, for that question. And as I said in response to Andrew R.T. Davies, of course I'm concerned that we've got young people waiting longer than they should. I do think that the waiting times situation is distorted slightly by Cardiff and the Vale. As I said to Andrew, two thirds of the children who are waiting in Wales are actually on the waiting list in Cardiff and the Vale....
Lynne Neagle: Thank you very much for that question, Jenny, and I'm very supportive of social prescribing as a way of linking people to community-based, non-clinical support, and regard such support as a really key part of our preventative agenda. You'll be aware that we have a programme for government commitment to have an all-Wales framework to support social prescribing. That framework is going to...
Lynne Neagle: Can I thank the Member for that supplementary question? I share his concerns about the continued difficulties with waiting times in Cardiff and Vale. I have met Cardiff and Vale three times separately to discuss, in detail, their approach to managing their waiting times. I think it is important to recognise that they face particular challenges in Cardiff and Vale. Two thirds of children who...
Lynne Neagle: We are prioritising an additional £50 million, £75 million and £90 million ring-fenced funding for mental health for 2022‑23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 respectively. This is in addition to the £760 million invested annually in the local health board mental health ring fence, and will support the continued transformation of our mental health services to provide earlier intervention and to...
Lynne Neagle: The technical advisory group has published two reports on excess deaths since the start of the pandemic, which include information on deaths from dementia. We also published a companion document to the dementia action plan in September 2021, which confirmed our priorities for action.
