Hospital Waiting Times

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:39 pm on 20 March 2018.

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Photo of Carwyn Jones Carwyn Jones Labour 2:39, 20 March 2018

Well, it's a matter for the health boards. What I have noticed, however, is that, certainly, some health boards send out appointment letters that emphasise the cost of a missed appointment. I think that's important—that people understand that. They also emphasise that if people don't turn up at an appointment, they may end up back, further down the waiting list. That is the stick. The carrot is making it as easy as possible for people to contact the department in which they have the appointment. That means, of course, not just relying on a phone line, which might be busy or only open for a few hours of the day, but being able to have an e-mail address that people can contact, and then, of course, a swift response. That is something that I have seen with ABMU and something that certainly, I think, is good practice for the rest of Wales.