Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:20 pm on 2 November 2021.
Minister, may I ask for a statement from the Minister of health on the threshold for a public inquiry into cases concerning the care and treatment offered by health boards in Wales? I know the answer will probably be, 'Go and Google it, Natasha', but the reason why is something different. I've actually been in correspondence with the health Minister and the Aneurin Bevan University Local Health Board regarding one of my constituents, whose name is Celia Jones, on the circumstances regarding the passing of her partner, who sadly died at the Royal Gwent Hospital in 2017. Celia Jones was and remains dissatisfied and distressed by the way the health board investigated her serious concerns about the treatment Mr Boulton was getting at the time. She made a complaint to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, as anyone would do, who upheld the vast majority of her concerns and who made a series of recommendations. The Aneurin Bevan health board say that they have implemented these recommendations, but my request for details about what action was taken has actually been met with a flat refusal to enter into any further discourse as they regard the matter as a closed case. Only a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Brian's passing will satisfy Celia, but the Minister says the threshold is high and has not been met. Please can we have a statement therefore from the Minister on why this should be the case, when serious failings in care and treatment such as this have had such tragic consequences? Thank you so much, Minister.