Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:51 pm on 26 September 2017.
Thank you very much for that update. I have four questions stemming from today’s statement. The first relates to expenditure. We heard in the statement that there was an increase of 65 per cent in expenditure on neurological conditions over the four years up to 2015. I wonder whether it would be possible to have an explanation for that particular trend, because it appears to be too much of an increase to have been driven by demographic factors alone.
In terms of PREMs and PROMs and the intention to develop a system that can bring outcomes that can be compared across health boards in Wales, I do welcome that. But, what consideration has been given to enable us to benchmark also against the other health services across the United Kingdom?
Thirdly, and speaking of that comparison with other countries, the Wales Neurological Alliance has said that Wales is falling behind in terms of waiting times for assessment. The statement that we have heard acknowledges that early diagnosis is vital, but what investment can you point towards that shows that the Government is trying to ensure that diagnosis does happen earlier?
Finally, ensuring that we do have a sufficient number of specialist nurses is vital for the care that is provided to patients. So, what resources are being provided to help to increase the appeal of working as a neurological nurse as a career, and to ensure that the support is available to enable nurses to pursue that particular career path?