1. Will the First Minister make a statement on the health service in North Wales? OAQ(5)0407(FM)

Our priorities for the health service in the north, and throughout Wales, are to continue to protect investment and deliver the range of commitments set out in ‘Taking Wales Forward’.

Well, clearly, your priorities are not orthopaedic care in north Wales, First Minister. I hope you are as shocked as I am with the recent findings of a 5,000 per cent increase in those having gone longer than the 36 weeks waiting time for orthopaedic and trauma services. That is 3,052 patients now having gone considerably longer than that. I have constituents—80 weeks requiring a knee replacement, 130 weeks for a hip replacement. These individuals are in constant and sickening pain 24 hours a day, seven days a week, fed up with popping several really serious painkillers. And then to learn yesterday that all orthopaedic replacement surgery in Ysbyty Gland Clwyd is now on hold. I’m also advised that the Enlli ward has closed currently for surgery. That frustrates me and my constituents even more. Such delays in this kind of treatment is a national scandal, and if this is an example of your Government putting a health board in special measures 18 months ago, then serious questions must be raised. How, under your watch, have you allowed such scandalous waiting times, and what will you do now, as First Minister, please, on behalf of my constituents, and those patients across north Wales, to investigate the matter urgently and to provide my constituents and others with the appropriate treatment they not only need—

You do need to bring your question to an end. You have asked several questions now.

[Continues.]—with the appropriate treatment they not only need, but deserve?

Well, the majority of patients waiting in north Wales are waiting less than 26 weeks, but we do recognise that trauma and orthopaedics is a challenging area, where some of the waiting times are not acceptable. Extra money has been made available to Betsi Cadwaladr local health board in order to reduce waiting times. They are outsourcing some activity now to alternative providers, and we expect to see the situation improve markedly over the course of the next two months.

Earlier this month, the annual safeguarding report from Betsi Cadwaladr health board was published, which was quite a frightening read, I must say. The risk register showed 13 serious risks, including failure to comply with various pieces of safeguarding legislation, or that there was a real risk that a child or a person on the at-risk register wouldn’t be identified if they were to go to the accident and emergency department, which could lead to serious harm to that individual. After a year and a half in special measures, do you believe that that is acceptable?

Well, of course, we know that the board isn’t yet ready to come out of special measures at present, but, having said that, we also know, looking broadly at the performance of the health board, that things have improved, and we saw that in looking at the framework in November, which showed that very good work had been done. What’s important now is to ensure that every part of the service being delivered by the health board improves in the same manner as the cancer treatment times, for example, and waiting times for diagnostic tests.

First Minister, how can you justify offering free prescriptions and additional childcare, regardless of income and at a huge cost, while the number of people waiting for orthopaedic treatment in north Wales has rocketed? Where are your priorities?

Because we were elected on that basis. I can’t speak for her party, but we like to keep our promises.