Part of 2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport – in the Senedd at 3:03 pm on 17 May 2017.
I thank you for the question and I recognise that the challenges that are faced by the service in north Wales are about a proper understanding of capacity and demand and need, but also how the service is organised—that really does make a difference—and making sure that the resources available to it are properly used and organised. There is something about having a proper, clear strategy to understand what we’re trying to achieve and why, as well, and there’s a really significant step forward that has been made. But objectively, the provision of mental health services in the round is in a better place in north Wales than it was a couple of years ago.
But as in every other service, if you’re at the front line and you’re in a busy and a difficult and demanding job, you may not be able to take a step back and think ‘This is better than where we were a year ago, 24 months and 36 months ago.’ That’s part of the reason why we have an objective process with the regulators. They don’t take my word for it about the progress made. The regulators come up with a rounded assessment independent of Government and they then give us advice about the progress through special measures. Whatever happens with special measures, there will be a need to continue to look at, as I said in answer to Hannah Blythyn, the provision of mental health services, the quality and the outcomes delivered with and for people in north Wales. I am under no illusion whatsoever that the progress we describe must be honest, but it must also recognise there is more still to be done, both in the here and now, in the immediate period, as well as for the medium and longer term future. So, I certainly don’t try to deny the challenges and I’m sure I’ll get many more questions in this Chamber about where we really are.