<p>Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople</p>

Part of 2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport – in the Senedd at 2:32 pm on 4 October 2017.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 2:32, 4 October 2017

I recognise that some people do wait unacceptably long times, and there’s a real challenge in long waiters in particular in north Wales, and the ability of the health board to have the appropriate capacity, including the intensive therapy unit capacity for those people who are more complex in terms of their needs. So, it is not an acceptable position. It is a matter that I have taken up directly, obviously, with the chair; I’m in regular contact now with the chair and the chief executive. I expect the orthopaedic plan that the health board are bringing to address matters this year, and not simply to look ahead to future years when they say that the issue should be resolved. If that plan is not judged to be adequate, and I will take advice from officials here as well, then, yes, I will have to consider other measures. But that must be on the basis of what the plan is, whether it’s really credible, because I expect people in north Wales to have access to good quality and timely care, and I recognise that there are some people where that is absolutely not the case.