1. Will the Minister make a statement on non-respiratory sleep disorders? OAQ(5)0092(HWS)[W]

Thank you for the question. It is important that the cause of non-respiratory sleep disorders is identified early as there can be a wide range of underlying issues ranging from diet, neurological disorders, psychiatric disorders or more. The underlying cause will determine where the condition is best managed, but primary care will be the starting point for management.

Thank you for that response. As you say, as things stand at the moment, the majority of sleep disorders are treated across departments within our hospitals. There isn’t a specialist centre for such disorders. Those who have these conditions are complaining about diagnosis and treatment for non-respiratory sleep disorders, and you referred to disorders emanating from neurological problems, for example. Diagnosis in Wales is very low in terms of conditions such as narcolepsy. Do you have any plans to improve diagnosis and treatment for such conditions in Wales and what is the prospect of developing a specialist centre, particularly for that wide range of sleep disorders here in Wales?

Thank you for the follow-up question. I’m sure that all of us at some point in our lives will suffer some sort of challenge with our sleep. Most of them, though, do pass, as I’m sure you know, with a houseful of young children. But, in terms of the particular disorders and the wider challenges, we know that narcolepsy is a particular challenge, not just on sleep but in daily life. There is no currently known cure; it’s about managing the condition successfully. We do have a tertiary centre in Aneurin Bevan university health board, but I have asked the neurological conditions delivery implementation group to consider what greater emphasis we could have on those who are affected by neurologically affected sleep disorders. So, there is work in train and we know it’s an area where we need to expand our understanding, and then understand where and how we manage the condition and help and support people in the most effective way possible.

Cabinet Secretary, I am really pleased that Llyr Gruffydd has raised this very important question. There are strong links between sleep disorders and mental health, so in dealing with sleep order conditions, you are providing a valuable preventative measure in terms of mental health and other areas of the health service. I think you just mentioned the Aneurin Bevan sleep centre, which is based at Nevill Hall in Abergavenny. I believe it’s the only sleep centre of its kind in Wales—certainly dealing with the scope that it does. It’s only partially funded by the NHS, and I don’t think that that funding is guaranteed from year to year. I appreciate that funding is tight, but could you look at giving the sleep centre a little bit more assuredness in future as to its funding, and look to roll out that best practice across the rest of Wales, because it is, as I say, a preventative measure that really will do a lot to reduce spending in other parts of the health service?

I think there are two issues you raise in your question. The first is the point about treating the underlying cause, so whether that’s different forms of activity, and where there is a mental health challenge that leads to people having a sleep problem in the first place. The second, then, is what happens afterwards in terms of the treatment, and I think the Aneurin Bevan centre is a good example of where we have some specialism. There’s more work being developed with the Brain Research Imaging Centre at Cardiff University as well, and it’s important to understand what the evidence tells us about what we should then do.

I will consider, but the service in particular is a first in understanding the level of demand that exists, what it could and should do, and then how it funds that accurately with other partners as well. So, I understand why you make a bid for extra funding on this particular issue, but I need to see the evidence on what we could and should do and how that matches up with the need and demand that we have, and how we can probably meet that within the system.