Perinatal Mental Health

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:16 pm on 21 June 2022.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 2:16, 21 June 2022

(Translated)

Well, thank you very much to Siân Gwenllian, and thank you to her for co-sponsoring the event next week. From everything that I've heard, the first year of the unit in Tonna Hospital has been very successful, and we're trying to draw lessons out of those experiences. Also, Llywydd, I understand the points that the Member makes about in-patient provision in north Wales, and much work has been done already by the specialist services committee on this issue.

Now, in order for an independent unit to operate, it would need to meet the standards required by the relevant royal colleges, and that includes the number of patients that would be required to sustain a specialist unit of this kind. That's what people in north Wales are currently discussing: can we establish a unit in north Wales where the royal colleges will be content to give their seal of approval for that to move forward? Those discussions are ongoing, and I know that all opportunities are being taken to accelerate the process of agreeing a range of practical proposals.