2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:42 pm on 5 November 2019.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of David Rees David Rees Labour 2:42, 5 November 2019

Trefnydd, I'd like to ask for an oral statement from the Minister for Health and Social Services. I very much appreciate his written statements over recent weeks regarding Orkambi and Symkevi, and we are now in a position where we are trying to get a deal with Vertex on the access to those drugs, and I also read from Simon Stevens' letter that, in fact, the English NHS agreement was based upon Wales and Northern Ireland having similar agreements in place. Now, the Minister put out a tweet this morning—very interesting, but it has questions we want to ask of him, and, therefore, an oral statement as to where we are—. Maybe by next time we might actually be in a position where we have a deal, but it opens us up to questions that we need answers to, which don't come always from a written statement. So, if we can have an oral statement from him, that would be very helpful. 

And following on from Jenny Rathbone's points on screening, I would also like to ask for a statement on bowel screening, particularly as to a report on how successful the new test is. I do not want to wait 12 months to see how the 12-month period is, because I think that's way down the line, but we should have at least a three-month position now as to how that test is working. Whether there would be an assessment as to the sensitivity of the test and whether that can be improved, because we are working on the sensitivity, which limits where we are, basically standing still on the test levels—. We can get better, but that depends upon also the resource of the diagnostics agenda, and the endoscopy in particular. So, can we have a statement from him in relation to how he sees bowel screening working? Is the new test more effective? Are we getting a better response rate as a consequence of the test? And what resource has been put in place to ensure that we can improve the sensitivity, which allows us to actually catch earlier cancers so that we can get better results and outcomes?