Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport

QNR – in the Senedd at on 25 January 2017.

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Photo of Paul Davies Paul Davies Conservative

(Translated) What is the Welsh Government doing to improve health services in Pembrokeshire?

Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour

Our priority is to provide the people of Pembrokeshire with health services that deliver the best possible outcomes for patients. We will, of course, be guided by the best and most up-to-date clinical evidence and advice to deliver high-quality care that the people of Pembrokeshire deserve.

Photo of Adam Price Adam Price Plaid Cymru

(Translated) Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on referral to treatment times in Hywel Dda University Health Board?

Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour

I expect Hywel Dda to make the significant improvement that is required against their referral-to-treatment time targets and ensure every person is treated in a timely manner, based on clinical need.

Photo of Janet Finch-Saunders Janet Finch-Saunders Conservative

(Translated) Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on current orthopaedic treatment waiting times in Wales?

Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour

I expect all patients to be seen and treated in a timely manner, based on clinical need. To assist this, we have invested a further £50 million during the year to maintain performance over the winter, which will assist in reducing waiting times.

Photo of Llyr Gruffydd Llyr Gruffydd Plaid Cymru

(Translated) Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on local health board risk assessments?

Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour

(Translated)

The Welsh Government expects all local health boards to have robust systems in place to identify, manage and minimise potential risks to patients, staff, services and the organisation. This is needed to prevent harm, ensure appropriate use of resources and maintain public confidence.

Photo of Mark Isherwood Mark Isherwood Conservative

(Translated) Will the Cabinet Secretary outline how the Welsh Government is assisting people with dementia in Wales?

Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour

The Welsh Government has provided more than £8 million of additional funding over the last two years to support dementia services across Wales. A consultation on the first dementia strategic action plan for Wales is now open until 3 April 2017.

Photo of David Lloyd David Lloyd Plaid Cymru

(Translated) Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the targeted Intervention arrangements applying to Abertawe Bro Morgannwg Health Board?

Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour

We are continuing to work closely with Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Local Health Board. Support will be directed by the Welsh Government in agreement with the health board on the assistance that it requires.

Photo of Leanne Wood Leanne Wood Plaid Cymru

(Translated) Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the treatment offered by the NHS for patients with multiple sclerosis?

Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour

I expect health boards to ensure that people affected by a neurological condition such as multiple sclerosis to have timely access to high-quality care, integrated with social services where appropriate. This should be irrespective of where people live and how these services are delivered.

Cabinet

The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.

It is chaired by the prime minister.

The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.

Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.

However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.

War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.

From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.

The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.

intervention

An intervention is when the MP making a speech is interrupted by another MP and asked to 'give way' to allow the other MP to intervene on the speech to ask a question or comment on what has just been said.