3. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to deal with the backlog of elective surgery in North Wales? OQ58010

Thanks very much. Tackling the backlog of patients is a key priority for this Government. Last month, I launched the planned care recovery plan, which sets out our approach to reducing waiting times in Wales so that patients get the care and treatment they deserve, supported by an additional recurrent investment of £170 million.

Thank you for that answer, Minister. I've been contacted by a resident who's been waiting for an orthopaedic consultant for nearly two years, during which time their arthritis has moved from moderate to severe. The resident is understandably concerned that longer waiting times for elective surgery will mean their condition will continue to worsen. They've received conflicting advice from their health board as to whether the NHS in Wales is still offering operations through the S2 certificate. Would the Minister be able to clarify for the resident whether the S2 certificate is still an available option for residents in Wales, and reassure them that all steps necessary are being taken to improve waiting times for elective surgery? Thank you.

Thanks very much. I'm very troubled to hear that yet another person is suffering and is in difficulty because of the waiting lists. Certainly, I'm very concerned about, in particular, people who I know are waiting for hip operations. I know somebody in this Chamber whose mother has recently undergone a hip replacement and was certainly in a lot of pain until that point. So, I'm very keen to get through this backlog as soon as possible. Obviously, I can't talk about any individual cases, but, if you would like to write to me about this case, I'll certainly look into it.

We have published a planned care recovery plan, and there are some very key targets that we're not hoping, but we are expecting, health boards to meet. So, I'm having regular meetings now with my officials just to make sure that we hold health boards' feet to the fire in terms of what we expect for delivery, making sure that they're keeping on track.

Just in relation to the S2 certificate, patients in Wales can still apply to their local health board for planned treatment in the EU and in Switzerland under the S2 route, but obviously they have to get permission from their health board before, if they expect the health board to underwrite that for them. So, there is a process to go through, and I'm very happy to write to you about the detail of that if that would be helpful.FootnoteLink

Information further to Plenary

Minister, I'd like to welcome your comments today in terms of some of the additional investment taking place to see waiting times reduce, and you referred to your planned care recovery plan as well, which I would hope would be beneficial to some of my residents in north Wales. Certainly, this is very timely, because we do continue to see an administration presiding over some of the worst records we've seen in our health service, with one in five people in Wales on a waiting list, compared to one in nine across the border, and one in four people expecting to wait over a year for treatment, compared to one in 20 across the border. Again, what this does is it feeds into a lack of trust, perhaps, from many of my residents, in being able to see targets being achieved, because so many targets in the past have not been achieved. Of course, behind each of those statistics I just quickly read out is a person in pain who needs support quickly. Carolyn Thomas referred to a case from her, and many of us have very similar cases in our inboxes every day. So, Minister, what assurances can I give to my constituents today that are waiting on those waiting lists that those targets will be met, and that that trust can be built back up so they can have that elective surgery met as quickly as possible?

Thanks very much. We developed the planned care recovery plan with clinicians and with the health boards. They are stretching but realistic targets, and we'll be making sure that they keep to those. I would like to correct you on one thing, and that is this constant refrain that 20 per cent of the population of Wales is waiting for treatment. Well, that is the number of people on pathways, and there are sometimes people who are on multiple pathways at the same time. I think the other thing, when you're comparing England and Wales, is it's really important to understand that we're not comparing apples and pears. We try and be transparent in Wales in the way that we count, so we count, for example, waits for diagnostic treatments, and there are a huge number of people waiting for diagnostic treatments—in fact, 60 per cent of the people waiting are waiting for their first out-patient appointment. Now, we've got a target on that. We're hoping that nobody will have to wait longer than a year for their first out-patient appointment by the end of this year. So, that is the assurance you can give. And the other assurance, of course, is that we're doing everything we can to increase capacity, to prioritise diagnostics and treatment, and we are transforming the way that we provide planned care and also helping to make sure that the patient is going to be informed and supported while they wait. 

Question 4 is to be answered by the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being. John Griffiths.