2. Will the Minister make a statement on how the NHS in Wales deals with historical complaints? OQ59035

People wishing to raise a complaint with an NHS body should do so within 12 months. The NHS bodies have discretion to consider complaints that occurred over 12 months but cannot consider complaints that occurred over three years unless they meet specific criteria.  

Thank you, Minister, for that answer. You'll be aware of the case of my constituent, Barry Topping-Morris. He was caught up in events surrounding the release of a patient from the Caswell clinic in Bridgend who went on to commit homicide. Mr Topping-Morris has long raised concerns about the investigation of these events and the impact they had on his own subsequent career. What assurances can you give him that lessons have been learnt from previous events and that an investigation of any similar event today would be conducted to contemporary standards? And would you be prepared, Minister, to offer an apology to Mr Topping-Morris and his family for the distress that they've been through over the last many years since this complaint was first lodged?

Well, I'd like to say, and I think it's important to say, that there is nothing more important than the safety and care of our NHS patients. I recognise the significant consequences that can occur as a result of inadequate care. I'm really sorry, I don't think it's appropriate for me to comment on individual cases, but what I will say is that the complaints process has changed almost beyond recognition since the time of this particular case. So, we now have 'Putting Things Right', where there is a strong focus on openness and honesty, with a central theme of being open and investigations on the premise of 'investigate once and investigate well'. So, I think we've got to continue our improvement with the introduction of the duties of quality and candour, which will be coming onto the stature book very soon.

Minister, many people in north Wales will, of course, be very concerned to have read today's vascular report into the services provided by the Betsi Cadwaladr health board, and especially to learn that the coroner was not fully informed of four patient deaths from the 47 cases that were reviewed. Historical cases, of course—some of them going back as far as 2014, right up until 2021. Now, it begs the question as to how many other deaths, both in the vascular service and in other clinical disciplines, may not have been appropriately referred to the coroner for consideration. And of course, we read in that report also of the chaotic patient record keeping—and this is in spite of other reports having identified this as a problem over many years—along with a failure to fully implement the recommendations from previous scathing reports. It's alarming, Minister, and people want to know what action the Welsh Government is going to take to make sure that lessons are learned when things go wrong, and that rapid action is taken and is followed up in terms of the implementation of recommendations.

Well, thanks very much. I have issued a written statement to update all Members on the publication of that report today. I know that publication will be distressing for many of the families involved, and those who access vascular services within the health board. The cases covered within the report cover both pre and post-reorganisation of the service. I know that the health board has apologised to those affected by the report, and to the families who didn't receive the service that they deserved. This report looked in detail at the cases covered in the Royal College of Surgeons' report that was published last year, so these are not new cases; it's just a more thorough investigation. 

There were a number of recommendations. We have, obviously, put the vascular service in particular into enhanced monitoring, to make sure that the intervention is monitored regularly. There is an improvement plan. I am updated regularly, and the Welsh Government is updated regularly. I know that my officials spoke yesterday to the north Wales coroner, because, obviously, I was very concerned to hear that the coroner hadn't been informed.