Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:56 pm on 18 June 2019.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Paul Davies Paul Davies Conservative 1:56, 18 June 2019

But surely we should be providing services here in Wales for those young people and we should be offering a wide range of services, including beds as well. So, surely, First Minister, you've got to accept that.

Now, further concerns have been raised around patient waiting times with me. A recent Healthcare Inspectorate Wales report found that an average of 57 per cent of patients waited no longer than four weeks. However, the inspectorate states that the majority of patients are waiting between four to 26 weeks for their first appointment. Now, a community health council report, which you're looking to scrap, has warned that young people would only feel that they would be seen if they committed a serious suicide attempt. A further report warned that accident and emergency departments are becoming the default option for cases of overdose and self-harm because of difficulties accessing support from a CAMHS centre or primary care.

Do you think that now is the right time to be scrapping CHCs, which are trusted by patients, and replacing them with national citizen voice bodies that might not feel they can be critical of the Welsh Government or the health boards as they will be appointed by you, funded by you and then won't want to be sacked by you? How will your citizen voice bodies speak up for patients, and especially these young people, at a time when they need it the most?