Part of 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 2:28 pm on 17 October 2018.
Well, as Members will know from our regular outings in the Chamber, in statements, in debates and, indeed, in questions that I receive every three weeks, there is regular and direct accountability. I answer questions and I'm held to account on a regular basis. As far as Betsi Cadwaladr is concerned, there is a new improvement framework, with improvements to be made, and I expect to be held to account for them. I have never sought to try and deny the fact that I have responsibility for the health service here in Wales—far from it.
The challenge about our framework for accountability is to have that honesty and objectivity within it, to actually measure the progress we're making, the additional support that we're providing, not just in people, but also in terms of the additional resource we've made, the additional resource we've made available from this June, for example—nearly an extra £7 million for providing additional personnel to deliver improvement. And I will be upfront about where the health board has made progress, just as I'll be upfront about where the health board still has more to go. Members should, though, take some comfort from the fact that our staff within the health board are actually much more positive about working for the organisation than they were two years ago and four years ago. As the staff survey shows, there have been significant improvements in whether staff rate the health board as a good place to work, or they say they're proud to work for the health board, and whether they'd recommend treatment for a friend or relative. So, there is real progress being made, but, until we see the significant and sustained improvement in mental health services in particular, and progress to be made on financial discipline within the health board too, as well as headline elective performance, I will, of course, continue to face questions, just as the health board will themselves.