6. Welsh Conservatives Debate: Mental health services

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:26 pm on 8 December 2021.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Hefin David Hefin David Labour 4:26, 8 December 2021

That said, the First Minister did respond yesterday—I was listening to First Minister's questions—about mental health services, and he said care navigation is really important in reducing the pressure on mental health services. The problem with care navigation is that it creates a bottleneck, and the bottleneck happens at the point you approach primary care. And when you approach primary care, it can be very difficult to get to the right mental health service. I've actually written—. So, I do have a lot of sympathy for some of the reforms that are suggested, including a fundamental review of mental health services, because I've written to the health Minister to ask for an expert-led review into care navigation. I didn't get a response in the affirmative, but I did get an explanation of the work that's been done with GP services to improve access to care navigation, which has been introduced, which should see a reduction in the 8 a.m. type queues that happen on the phone, first thing on a Monday or Tuesday morning. The Welsh Government has taken steps in that regard. Nonetheless, the proof on that will be in the evidence that occurs after those measures are introduced. So, bottlenecks to care are important, and what often happens with people who are seeking mental health support is that, rather than going for talking therapy, the waiting list for such services is so long that they go for medication. And medication should not be the first option when it comes to mental health support. It should be talking therapy, exercise, lifestyle change. All of these things can support better than an immediate option to drugs and that kind of solution. So, those bottlenecks don't help, and I think the Welsh Government are taking steps to address that.

Finally, I'd like to identify specific issues that have been raised by me in my constituency. A constituent of mine who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and Tourette's syndrome has contacted me. She came as part of a campaign organised by a south Wales Tourette's society, and specifically there is no clinical pathway for Tourette's in Wales, which means difficulties in terms of securing a diagnosis and accessing further support. Those of you who've been in this Chamber for some time will know I have a daughter who is severely autistic, and I can see a pathway for her, and the treatment she needs. But those with Tourette's and ADHD don't have the same pathway and don't have the same access to mental health services. And I know the Deputy Minister knows this in depth and is working on this. In response to a BBC Wales story on this issue, the Welsh Government said,

'Regional Partnership Boards are rolling out a new framework to improve access to the right support' and that it was,

'reviewing all children's and adults neurodevelopmental services, to identify where there are gaps in provision and the demand, capacity and design of services for children, young people and adults' can be improved. Can the Minister therefore confirm whether or not those regional partnership boards have completed their roll-out of this new framework? And can she confirm if the Welsh Government is still on track to complete its review of children's and adults' neurodevelopmental services by March as intended, which would go some way to answering some of the questions in the motion?

Finally, it would be remiss of me, when we're talking about mental health, not to welcome back Andrew R.T. Davies to the Chamber. I thought, yesterday, his contribution yesterday was the contribution of someone who's taken some time out of politics, because he was very reasonable, very measured, and I think there's a lesson for us now over Christmas to take that step back, and probably come back in the new year with a spirit of kindness and mutual support.