2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:42 pm on 13 February 2018.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mark Isherwood Mark Isherwood Conservative 2:42, 13 February 2018

Could I call for single statement, please, on services for people in Wales with dystonia, a neurological condition that can affect any part of the body? Responding to the health Secretary's statement last September here on the Welsh Government's neurological conditions delivery plan, I noted that the number of people living with the condition had doubled in Wales to 5,000 since the plan started in 2014, and, despite that growth in demand, especially for Botox injections, there'd been no plan to make the treatment of dystonia sustainable in Wales. The health Secretary responded by saying he recognised the real concerns and he'd arranged for contact to take place with Cardiff and Vale University Local Health Board. Well, this weekend, we saw BBC Wales coverage of dystonia patients in Cardiff being distressed over cancelled Botox clinics, and the founder of Dystonia Cymru, Graham Findlay, saying a perfect storm is brewing over mass cancellation of appointments.

We also saw coverage by BBC Wales of Ann Pierce-Jones from Gwynedd saying very much the same in terms of north Wales. When I represented her last year, she raised with me concerns regarding services for people who suffer with cervical dystonia, or torticollis, in north Wales and said it's clear patients, including herself, are not receiving regular treatment and a standard of care to enable them to potentially have a better quality of life, and the lack of support and regular treatment affected her life in a really negative—and need I say painful—manner. Given that the health Secretary made the response last September but these concerns are being raised this weekend on BBC Wales, I would more than welcome—I would urge—the Welsh Government to respond to the concerns being expressed by people with dystonia in north and south Wales and provide a statement accordingly.