<p>Accident and Emergency Units in North Wales</p>

Part of 2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport – in the Senedd at 2:28 pm on 13 July 2016.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 2:28, 13 July 2016

I thank the Member for his question. I’ll start by making clear that, whilst there has been a welcome reduction in the number of 12-hour waits over the last month, there’s no illusion that we’re in an acceptable position. I don’t think the number of 12-hour waits is acceptable and, in my earlier answer, I made clear that that message has been given to the service and the expectation is improvement. I’m not persuaded, at this point in time, that minor injuries units are part of the solution unless there is evidence that we can staff those properly. There is the need, going through them, to actually be able to deliver a service properly. I’m interested, as I said in the first part of this question, in having a proper whole-system approach and making sure that people are sent to services that are appropriate, that they are given the care that they need and that the options they need are available. But, as the evidence is made available on what we are doing and what we can do, I’m happy to look again at the way the system is organised, so if there is a real answer to improve outcomes for patients through patient experience then we’ll do that, but, at this point in time, I don’t think there is an evidence base to reintroduce minor injuries units on the basis suggested.

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