6. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on plans to incorporate the Bridgend County Borough Council area into the Cwm Taf health board? OAQ51274

Thank you for the question. The then Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government and, I recently confirmed, this Government, intends to consult on the proposal that health provision across the Bridgend council footprint should in future be made by Cwm Taf Local Health Board. We continue to work closely with Bridgend council and both health boards on taking this matter forward.

Thank you for your answer on that. The previous Cabinet Secretary will remember that it was quite a bruising process going through the south Wales programme changes and, of course, Cwm Taf lost emergency and paediatric services at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital while they were retained at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend. Now, I've just had confirmation that there's no planned service reduction at the Princess of Wales Hospital in terms of consultant-led emergency services and in-patient children services, but I'd really like your commitment to that status quo as well. What I'm slightly more concerned about is that Cwm Taf seem to have no knowledge of Maesteg Community Hospital and is not prepared to make any specific comment on its future. I'm wondering whether you're able, without setting any hares running, to confirm today that you will speak to Cwm Taf about Maesteg and perhaps fill them in on a little bit of information about how important this hospital is.

I'm happy to confirm that the change in the footprint arrangements should not, of itself, make any changes to the way that services are provided, or, indeed, patient flows or the innovation that is already taking place—for example, the federation taking place between GPs in Bridgend and the innovations that are taking place within Cwm Taf.

Whatever happens with the future, each health board, with its partners, must look at what it does and why, and there is absolutely no reason to raise questions over any particular healthcare facility simply as a result of changing the footprint. Any and all other changes to services, or any reforms that take place, must involve a proper conversation with staff and the public, and this change in the footprint is absolutely no reason to cast doubt on any of the current facilities. 

Cabinet Secretary, I'm sure you will be aware tha,t a few weeks ago, Cwm Taf health board and their partners Rocialle and 1000 Lives Wales won the collaboration award at this year's Made in Wales Awards for their development of a pack aimed at speeding up clinical responses to sepsis. Will you offer Cwm Taf and its partners congratulations on this significant achievement? Do you agree with me that any proposed changes in the footprint would enable Cwm Taf to strengthen its partnership working and its delivery of innovative healthcare interventions?

Yes I do, and I've noted with interest the progress that Cwm Taf has made with Rocialle. Again, part of our challenge is for the health service to have a more grown-up relationship with partners in the independent sector without compromising the values of the service, but actually looking at how we can deliver real improvement. Sepsis, as we know, is a big killer, so I'm really looking forward to seeing more on what could be done. I think, actually, Bridgend will benefit in this sense from, as I say, the innovations that are already taking place in Cwm Taf. They should be easy to roll out into the Bridgend area as well, as well as understanding what we could and should do to roll out successful innovation in every part of our service nationwide. So, I do look forward to the continued work.

There's more for us to hear on this particular innovation in the coming month, actually, as we have more coming out about the peer review on acute deterioration. So, I'm more than happy to add my congratulations to Cwm Taf and their partners.

The Cabinet Secretary will naturally be aware that planning in the health sector is a long-term matter, and that will include the number of beds in Bridgend hospital, for example, and the plans under way by the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg health board more generally. So, can I ask what discussions you have had to ensure the continuation of services for patients there?

I'm happy to reiterate the comments that I made earlier to Suzy Davies about patient flows and about the way in which services are planned and provided. This should not interrupt the way in which health provision is already taking place. That needs to take account of what is already in place and discussions that have already happened. I've met with the previous chair of Cwm Taf and the chair of ABMU. I've met with the chief executives at the same time as well, and I've also had a meeting with the newly appointed chair of Cwm Taf. That's actually very encouraging—the fact that all of the organisations involved are taking a very straightforward approach to making sure that if this change takes place, it is done as smoothly as possible, but also having a proper understanding of the current services that are in place that different partners will then have to run and manage, including, of course, the point that Suzy Davies makes about reforming new partnerships between Bridgend and a new health board.

So, I expect that continued work to take place. I will, of course, be meeting with the two chairs over the coming weeks and months again, and I expect the regular and fruitful conversations that are taking place between the leaderships of the health boards and Bridgend County Borough Council to continue to take place.