Concerns raised over Welsh Government decision to de escalate Hywel Dda health board monitoring

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00:00Rhun ap Iorwerth AM, Llywydd.

00:02Thank you, First Minister.

00:03In reading all the emails Iíve received from constituents, it doesnít take too long to

00:08realise what their main concerns are, and the messages are quite clear that they are

00:14concerned about waiting lists in the health service for all sorts of conditions.

00:20But these messages contradict the story published by your Government last week, stating that

00:28the monitoring level for Hywel Dda University Local Health Board will be downgraded from

00:33level 4 to level 3, and that was done partly, according to the announcement, as a result

00:39of improvements in provision for mental health services.

00:43But despite the announcement, there was a report hours later that the provision for

00:50non-urgent mental health cases in north Ceredigion would be coming to an end.

00:56Nearly 56 per cent of the 147 mental health cases in north Ceredigion have care and treatment

01:05plans in place, which falls a long way short of the target of 90 per cent that you yourself

01:12have set.

01:13Thatís just a microcosm, First Minister, of the grave situation in terms of unacceptable

01:18waiting lists in my region.

01:21So, when will you and your Government truly tackle this situation, and is the evidence

01:28for the change in monitoring levels for health boards robust enough?

01:33Thank you very much, and Iím sure youíre also pleased to hear the fact that it looks

01:38likely that they will meet that target of reducing those waiting for two years to be

01:48seen, which is to be welcomed.

01:51Itís good to see, because things have improved in terms of mental health, that we have been

01:58able to see that de-escalation in the health board.

02:04I know that there is a unique problem in the Ceredigion area at present, and I am aware

02:11of that.

02:13Now, the point at present is that there are many vacancies available, and theyíve failed

02:22to appoint to the substantive consultant psychiatrist post.

02:28So, what theyíve done is brought a specialist nurse in over the short term.

02:35These posts are out for ads at present, but it is very important that people receive the

02:44care that they need, and thatís why itís important, if there is a need, if the service

02:50isnít available there, that they can go somewhere where they can receive that care in that short

02:55term while theyíre recruiting.