Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:45 pm on 25 September 2018.
Well, we acknowledge that performance on those two sites is unacceptable. That's the first thing to say. It's a reflection of pressures and demands on hard-working staff. I've said that I expect the board to put into place meaningful actions to deal with this. Now, what have we done? Well, the board, with £1.5 million-worth of support from Welsh Government, has put in place arrangements to target improvements and actions in respect of the unscheduled care system in the north. We also provided £6.8 million earlier this year to strengthen the health board's operational capacity at each of the three main hospitals in the north, and that package of support is intended to enable the health board to increase its understanding of local challenges and make effective decisions to support immediate improvement. The NHS Wales delivery unit is also working at the Wrexham Maelor site to support local performance management.
Now, as I said, whilst the performance generally is unacceptable, the typical wait in BCU for patients to be seen, assessed and treated or discharged was two hours and 48 minutes in August. Now, given the specific concern, which has been raised in fairness, about the August figures, a 90-day improvement cycle has been put in place and will be a point of focus for the board and clinical teams across the north. We will review the board's 90-day plan and decide whether any additional targeted support is required as a matter of urgency.