8. Will the Minister make a statement on the GP out-of-hours services available in south east Wales? OAQ(5)0059(HWS)

I expect all health boards to provide safe and effective out-of-hours services to respond to urgent healthcare needs. This includes ensuring that those with the most urgent clinical needs are dealt with soonest, and that all patients are dealt with within a clinically appropriate time.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. I was recently contacted by an 87-year-old constituent who was in need of an out-of-hours appointment following a problem with a catheter in the early hours of the morning. A home visit was requested by phone at 11.00 a.m. and a visit booked. A doctor didn’t finally arrive until 8.00 p.m., nine hours later, after several phone calls in the meantime. The doctor then advised an ambulance to hospital. That arrived. My constituent says that, throughout, the staff who dealt with him were second to none, but he was really concerned about the delays involved in the out-of-hours service that he experienced, and he asked me if I would raise it with you in the Chamber. I wonder if you could take a look at this case—I am happy to provide you with the details—and whether you could tell us what advice and guidance you’re giving to the local health boards to try and make sure that these types of delays are, at the very least, kept to a minimum.

Yes, I would be happy if you would provide me with details of the incident, particularly the time of week that it took place—whether it was the weekend or in the week. Blocked catheters are a relatively common issue for an out-of-hours service. It is also part of the challenge about having a district nursing service available as well, as part of an improvement we need to see, because it should not be the case that a blocked catheter leads to an A&E attendance. That is not something that I believe is appropriate either for the health service, or, more importantly, for the individual citizen. So, I would be interested to hear directly of this example, because it’s a good example of what we need to see a lot less of, and, in terms of blocked catheters, dealt with effectively by the primary care service, whether in hours or out of hours.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary.