6. Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services: The Public Health Wales Review of Sexual Health Services

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:02 pm on 17 April 2018.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 6:02, 17 April 2018

On the first issue raised, I just want to be reassured that there is no bar to being able to make the progress I've indicated that I want to. So, it's about 'how' and 'how quickly' as opposed to 'if', from my point of view, and I recognise what you've said; I think it is helpful to make clear that we're not talking about changing treatment. We're talking about the place in which that treatment is provided, and it is already the case, as you say, that for an incomplete miscarriage, this can be administered at home. And so, I recognise there will always be people who will raise objections to changing any form of abortion provision, but this is about trying to do the right thing, simply being able to move as quickly as we possibly can to make the right choice. I recognise what you say about teenage pregnancies. A 50 per cent reduction is, of course, welcome, but there is more to do and there is no hiding from that.

I didn't quite hear all of the comments you were making about the challenge about access to treatment for your students and primary care. That may be something that we may be able to have a longer conversation about, and I'm happy to meet with you and/or constituents to actually run through their current view on what's happening and how they'd want to see that provision improve. Because, generally, in urban environments, in city environments, access is better and isn't the challenge that we're especially worried about and that the report highlights. But if you think there is a particular challenge within your constituency, I'd be happy to discuss that further with you to see what we could and should do.

And on the broader points about pharmacy, of course, there are enhanced contracts in place for the provision of services. One of the things the review recommends, though, is actually about using pharmacies not on an enhanced contract, but actually to look at the regular provision of regular oral contraception. So, there is a variety of different ways in which that can be done to ease access as well, and that should also mean that it should be easier for general practitioners, in terms of an extra area of demand being taken away from them, that the report authors consider that our community pharmacy is perfectly adequately set up for and able to do, and will improve access to people.

A final point about PrEP: the initial results are that PrEP is highly effective. The reason why we're running a three-year trial is we want to be assured over a longer term period of time that that remains the case, and it's also about seeing not just the provision of PrEP, but changes in behaviour as well. So, we're looking at all aspects of that to try and see a sustainable and deliverable improvement. Then, of course, whoever is in this fortunate position—me or another person in the future—will then have to make a choice about the longer term provision. But the results so far are significant and encouraging. I look forward to being able to report back at the end of the three-year trial, not just about the results from the trial, but about the longer term choice that we all make, here in Wales.