<p>The Development of Telemedicine </p>

Part of 2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport – in the Senedd at 2:55 pm on 5 October 2016.

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Photo of Rhun ap Iorwerth Rhun ap Iorwerth Plaid Cymru 2:55, 5 October 2016

(Translated)

Thank you. I have a question about the need for broadband providers to ensure that those who require a high standard of broadband connectivity for telemedicine needs actually receive it. I know of a community on Ynys Môn—a whole community—that are without superfast broadband. Within that community there is a family where the husband has had a diagnosis of spinocerebellar ataxia 6, which is a very rare disease as I understand it, with only about 18 people in the whole of the United Kingdom suffering with it, and which impacts his ability to speak. He’s waiting for a communication device that will help him to put words together, but you have to have good connectivity or access to the broadband service in order to be able to use it. The whole community requires broadband. I’m doing what I can to put pressure on Openreach, but what pressure can the Cabinet Secretary for health, perhaps in collaboration with the Minister for Skills and Science, bring to bear on Openreach in order to ensure that they look again at the issue given that an individual’s health is at risk?