Siambr · Janet Finch-Saunders
Written questions
116 written questions on record from the Seventh Senedd on, newest first. Page 1 of 3.
WQ101106 · Tabled · No answer published
How is the Cabinet Minister working with Transport for Wales to ensure that all train services offer passenger assistance?
To be answered by: Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
WQ101105 · Tabled · No answer published
How is the Welsh Government working with bus companies and Transport for Wales on addressing anti-social behaviour on public transport?
To be answered by: Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
WQ101104 · Tabled · No answer published
What steps is the Cabinet Minister taking to ensure that active travel routes are being used by residents?
To be answered by: Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
WQ101013 · Tabled · No answer published
What steps is the Cabinet Minister taking to support the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to prepare for norovirus outbreaks in its hospitals?
To be answered by: Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
WQ101012 · Tabled · No answer published
What steps is the Cabinet Minister taking to support the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to prepare for influenza outbreaks in its hospitals?
To be answered by: Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
WQ101011 · Tabled · No answer published
Will the Cabinet Minister confirm how they are working with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to reduce the levels of staff sickness?
To be answered by: Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
WQ101010 · Tabled · Answered
How is the Cabinet Minister working with schools to educate young children on what to do in the case of a medical emergency?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
The Curriculum for Wales supports learners to develop the skills they need to respond safely in a medical emergency. Within the Health and Well-being Area, statutory guidance states that schools should consider the strategies learners need to safely support others who may be at risk, including lifesaving skills and first aid.
WQ101009 · Tabled · No answer published
How is the Cabinet Minister working with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to ensure that wards are cleaned to a high standard?
To be answered by: Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
WQ100924 · Tabled · No answer published
What steps it the Cabinet Minister taking to encourage the take-up of flu vaccines amongst those who are eligible?
To be answered by: Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
WQ100922 · Tabled · Answered
How is the Cabinet Minister working with general practitioners to reduce the waiting times for access to CAMHS and AMHS?
Answered by Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
Latest data show that, at an All-Wales level, the target waiting times for Local Primary Mental Health Support Services are being met. This means that most people receive an assessment within 4 weeks of referral, and a therapeutic intervention within 4 weeks of referral from the assessment.
The 10-year Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy outlines how we will improve access to mental health support. The strategy puts early intervention, prevention and person-centred care at the heart of mental health services, ensuring people are referred to the most appropriate form of support at the right time, without delay.
A key part of the transformation of mental healthcare is open access services, with people receiving same-day mental health support. Importantly, the shift to open access means that individuals will be able to access support without a referral, for instance from primary care. There are a number of demonstrators testing this model and the Open Access Working Group includes representatives from primary care. This transformation builds on previous work including the introduction of the Wales-wide 111 press 2 service for urgent mental health care and the provision of online cognitive behavioural therapy, which together aims to increase choice and flexibility in how support is accessed, without the need for referral.
WQ100916 · Tabled · Answered
What steps is the Welsh Government taking to improve mental health units in north Wales?
Answered by Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
Health boards in Wales are responsible for providing quality mental health services and this includes mental health in-patient units. NHS Wales Performance and Improvement continues to provide targeted support to the health board to drive improvement in mental health services. As part of the Mental Health Strategic Programme, there is also a dedicated Patient Safety Programme which is focused on driving improvements in inpatient units across all health boards.
We continue to support improvements to mental health facilities through the national capital programme. Our Programme for Government sets out the action to develop a Sustainable Health and Care Facilities programme, prioritising high‑risk maintenance and urgent repairs, modernisation and more efficient utilisation of the estate.
NHS Performance and Improvement has also been commissioned to develop a new Adult Mental Health Clinical Plan, which will include same-day access, the modernisation of community mental health services, and action to prevent avoidable escalation to inpatient care, while ensuring timely access to high-quality inpatient services for those whose needs require it.
Informed by the National Clinical Plan, an All-Wales Mental Health Estates Plan will be developed and agreed to ensure that inpatient facilities are fit for purpose and aligned to future population needs.
WQ100915 · Tabled · Answered
What steps is the Cabinet Minister taking to reduce NHS staff sickness levels in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board area?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
The health and wellbeing of the NHS workforce is a priority for the Welsh Government and I expect NHS employers to place staff health and wellbeing at the heart of workforce and service planning and to take appropriate action to prevent ill health, support staff who are absent and enable a safe and sustainable return to work.
Responsibility for the day-to-day management of sickness absence within Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board rests with the health board as the employer.
However, we support a range of national measures to complement the services available locally. This includes establishing minimum standards for occupational health services across NHS Wales, to promote more consistent and equitable access to timely support.
We also invest £1.5 million each year in Canopi, which provides free and confidential mental health and wellbeing support to NHS and social care staff across Wales, alongside locally provided occupational health and psychological wellbeing services.
The NHS Wales Staff Survey is also an important source of insight into staff wellbeing, engagement and workplace experience. I encourage all staff to participate and expect NHS organisations to listen to their staff and use the findings to inform targeted action and continuous improvement.
WQ100914 · Tabled · Answered
What steps is the Cabinet Minister taking to raise awareness amongst young people of cancer symptoms?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
The Welsh Government has committed to the development of a 10-year National Cancer Strategy for Wales. It will set out an ambitious vision for cancer services and provide the NHS with the clarity it needs to achieve better outcomes and experiences for people affected by cancer.
The Strategy is being informed by one of the most extensive engagement exercises undertaken in cancer policy in Wales. A national call for evidence is currently gathering insights, perspectives and recommendations from stakeholders and the public.
The Strategy will have a particular focus on what more the NHS can do to detect cancer earlier, including support to GPs referring people for suspected cancer. The Strategy will also outline the requirements for delivering timely pathways of specialist care and improving access to clinical trials.
WQ100901 · Tabled · Answered
Will the national skills audit and any subsequent delivery plan prioritise the development of skills in the construction sector?
Answered by Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education
I recognise the vital role that construction skills play in delivering homes, infrastructure, net zero and economic growth. The national skills audit will assess current and future skills needs across key sectors, including construction. We plan to publish the full audit findings in spring 2027.
WQ100900 · Tabled · No answer published
What is the Welsh Government doing to retain the current and attract the future construction workforce, including through apprenticeships?
To be answered by: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
WQ100807 · Tabled · Answered
What steps is the Cabinet Minister taking to increase the number of neonatal units in Wales?
Answered by Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
Our priority is to ensure babies receive the right care, in the right place and at the right time through safe, sustainable and high-quality neonatal services. Currently the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee (JCC) commission nine units in Wales, 3 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and 5 special care baby units (SCBUs), to provide specialist care for premature and sick babies.
The NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee (JCC) is currently undertaking a review of neonatal services, focused on future requirements for neonatal cot configuration across Wales.
We continue to work with NHS Wales, the Wales Maternity and Neonatal Network and health boards to strengthen provision to babies and families. This includes the current improvements through the national Bliss Baby Charter programme, with funding secured for 2026-27 to improve care and the experiences of babies and their families.
WQ100806 · Tabled · Answered
How is the Cabinet Minister working with local authorities to close the care gap between hospitals and care homes?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
We continue to work closely with local authorities, health boards and care providers to strengthen transitions between hospital, care home and community settings, ensuring people receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
We have published Hospital Discharge Guidance to support consistent and effective discharge practices. The guidance promotes early engagement between partners, including care home providers, and aligns with the Discharge to Recover then Assess (D2RA) pathways. These arrangements help identify likely support needs early, support patient flow and enable timely discharge, including through the use of step-down and transitional care services where appropriate.
The principles set out in the guidance are supported through the £30 million Pathways of Care Transformation Grant, which is helping all 22 local authorities strengthen discharge arrangements and community-based care. This includes investment in brokerage, commissioning, discharge coordination, workforce capacity, reablement services and multidisciplinary working.
These arrangements are complemented by wider regional partnership working. Regional Partnership Boards bring together local authorities, health boards and partners to plan and commission integrated care based on Population Needs Assessments, helping ensure sufficient community, housing with care and residential care capacity is available to support timely discharge and recovery closer to home.
The funding is also supporting the role of care homes within discharge pathways, including step-down, assessment and transitional placements for people who are clinically optimised for discharge but require further recovery, assessment or care planning outside hospital.
To support continuous improvement, the Welsh Government’s Pathways of Care Delays reporting framework provides partners with monthly oversight of the causes of delays. Data indicates delays relating to temporary step-down care home placements have remained relatively low throughout the year, while delays associated with care home placement arrangements have stabilised, with some reductions in delays linked to care home availability.
We have also established stakeholder network groups with care home providers to identify and address barriers to effective discharge planning and patient flow. Alongside this, we continue to support good practice through resources such as the resident well-being toolkit developed with Age Cymru to help people transition successfully into care home settings.
Together, these actions are helping to reduce avoidable discharge delays, strengthen links between hospitals, local authorities and care home providers, and improve outcomes for people who require ongoing care and support following a stay in hospital
WQ100805 · Tabled · Answered
How is the Cabinet Minister working with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to ensure that patients with diabetes and similar medical conditions have access to food and drink while waiting for their consultation?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
New standards were issued on 6 October 2026 via a Welsh Health Circular (All Wales Nutrition and Catering Principles and Standards for Food and Fluid Provision for Patients in Hospital (2026) (WHC/2026/030).
Welsh Government recognises the importance of ensuring that people with diabetes, and other conditions with specific nutritional needs, have appropriate access to food and drink when receiving hospital care. The new standards strengthen national expectations in this area, including a specific requirement for hospitals to provide easy access to appropriate food and drink. The standards also require NHS organisations to consider food and fluid provision outside traditional ward settings.
We expect health boards, including Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, to carry out a self-assessment annually to meet the requirements as part of their local arrangements and implementation of the new standards.
WQ100804 · Tabled · Answered
How is the Cabinet Minister working with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to ensure that patients waiting in A&E are seen within 12 hours?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
We continue to work closely with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to strengthen whole-system flow from community services through to discharge.
We have provided an additional £2.7m to the health board this year to enable delivery of its improvement plan and NHS Wales Performance and Improvement is closely monitoring how that will add capacity.
The North Wales Regional Partnership Board has been given an additional £32.8m in support this year to help manage more people in the community and safely accelerate discharge when social care is required. This should help release hospital capacity and reduce delays.
As part of the ongoing Level 5 intervention at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, I have commissioned NHS Wales Performance and Improvement to provide targeted operational support to the health board. This support will bring together operational and clinical experts to drive urgent improvements in urgent and emergency care, including a focus on flow and reducing waiting times for access to emergency care.
I have also commissioned an independent “well-led” review of the health board’s strategy, culture, leadership, governance and accountability arrangements. The report is expected to be submitted to Welsh Government by the end of October.
WQ100803 · Tabled · Answered
What steps is the Cabinet Minister taking to encourage more men to undertake prostate and testicular cancer screening?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
In March, the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) published its recommendation that a nationally managed approach to biennial PSA testing should be implemented for men aged 45 to 61 who have a pathogenic germline BRCA2 variant, and have a family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancer. The UK NSC did not recommend population‑wide prostate cancer screening. The Welsh Government will carefully consider the implications for Wales of the UK NSC recommendation before any decisions are taken on implementation. This will involve working with the NHS in Wales and third sector.
The UK NSC does not currently recommend any screening for testicular cancer.
Anyone with symptoms of, or concerns about, prostate or testicular cancer should contact their GP.
WQ100718 · Tabled · Answered
What discussions is the Cabinet Minister having with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board about acquiring a robot from CMR Surgical in Cambridge?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board already has access to a robotic surgical platform from CMR Surgical, which supports surgeons to undertake complex minimally invasive procedures with enhanced precision and dexterity, helping to improve patient outcomes through reduced surgical trauma, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery.
Decisions on whether to acquire medical equipment, including robotic surgical systems, are matters for individual health boards based on local clinical needs and funding priorities, supported by NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, which provides procurement expertise and manages procurement processes ensuring they are legally compliant on behalf of NHS organisations in Wales.
WQ100717 · Tabled · Answered
What steps is the Welsh Government taking to offer neonatal support to women who become mothers after 35?
Answered by Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
Neonatal care in Wales is provided according to the clinical needs of the baby and family, rather than maternal age alone. Women aged 35 and over receive individualised assessment and monitoring during pregnancy, with referral to specialist maternity and neonatal services where clinically indicated. Where a baby requires neonatal care, families can access specialist clinical care, information and emotional support, and are supported to be involved in decisions and in their baby’s care.
The Welsh Government continues to support improvements in neonatal services through the national Bliss Baby Charter programme. The programme promotes Family Integrated Care, strengthens support for parents and aims to improve the experience and outcomes of babies and families receiving neonatal care in Wales.
WQ100716 · Tabled · Answered
What steps is the Cabinet Minister taking to work with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to ensure that mothers are able to remain with their baby if they are transferred to a different hospital?
Answered by Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
We are clear that wherever possible mothers should be enabled to remain close to, and involved in the care of, their baby, including when a baby requires transfer to another hospital for specialist neonatal care. This is a key principle of family-centred and family integrated care and is reflected in Welsh neonatal policy and standards. The All-Wales Neonatal Standards require health boards to support parental participation in their baby's care and provide appropriate facilities for parents, while the Quality Statement for Maternity and Neonatal Services promotes care that keeps mothers, babies and families together wherever it is safe and clinically appropriate.
The Welsh Government is working with all health boards, including Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, through the national Maternity and Neonatal Network and improvement programmes to strengthen pathways that minimise separation following maternal or neonatal transfer. This includes supporting effective coordination between hospitals, provision of family accommodation where available, and ensuring parents are actively involved in decisions about care and transfer arrangements.
In addition, the Welsh Government has recently funded Bliss to support neonatal units across Wales to work towards the Bliss Baby Charter standards. These standards place families at the centre of neonatal care and promote parents as partners in care, including ensuring that parents can stay as close to their baby as possible and remain involved throughout their baby's hospital journey.
While there will be occasions when specialist clinical needs make transfer unavoidable, the expectation is that health boards continue to improve facilities, support and accommodation for families so that separation is minimised and mothers can remain with their baby whenever this is safe and feasible. This aligns with recommendations from Bliss, which highlight the importance of overnight accommodation and family integrated care to reduce the distress caused by separation and improve outcomes for babies.
WQ100715 · Tabled · Answered
What discussions is the Cabinet Minister having with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to ensure that blood pressure changes are monitored in mothers who have just given birth?
Answered by Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
We engage regularly with all health boards, including Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, on the quality and safety of maternity services.
Health boards are expected to have robust arrangements in place to monitor women following birth, including the timely assessment of blood pressure to identify potential complications such as postnatal hypertension and pre-eclampsia.
Across NHS Wales, maternity services are implementing the nationally agreed Maternity Early Warning Score (MEWS) system, formerly referred to as MEOWS (Modified Early Obstetric Warning Score). This standardised approach is used during pregnancy, labour and the postnatal period to monitor key physiological observations, including systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and prompts escalation where abnormal observations are identified. The system has been introduced to reduce variation in practice and support the early recognition and treatment of maternal deterioration.
The All-Wales MEWS chart requires regular monitoring of women following birth and uses blood pressure measurements as a core component of the assessment, ensuring that changes are identified promptly and acted upon appropriately. Health boards, including Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, are expected to adhere to these national standards and escalation processes as part of delivering safe maternity care.
The Welsh Government expects all health boards to implement national guidance consistently to support the early identification and management of women whose condition may be deteriorating following childbirth. Monitoring of quality and safety of maternity services will continue through the established oversight arrangements with health boards.
WQ100714 · Tabled · Answered
What steps is the Cabinet Minister taking to improve postpartum services in north Wales?
Answered by Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
Welsh Government is working with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and all health boards in Wales to strengthen postpartum and wider perinatal services through the implementation of the Quality Statement for Maternity and Neonatal Services and the Perinatal Engagement Framework. These set clear expectations that women, babies and families receive safe, person-centred care throughout pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period, with women's voices actively informing service improvement.
In north Wales, improvements are being driven through national maternity and neonatal programmes, strengthened clinical governance arrangements and ongoing engagement with women and families. The Quality Statement requires health boards to provide equitable, evidence-based care across the perinatal pathway, including the postnatal period, and promotes continuity, multidisciplinary working, safety and family-centred care.
These improvements are supported by implementation of UK NICE Guideline NG194: Postnatal Care, which sets out the standard of care women and babies should receive during the first eight weeks after birth. The guideline emphasises personalised postnatal care plans, assessment of physical and mental health, breastfeeding and infant-feeding support, effective communication between services, identification of complications, and a GP postnatal review at 6 to 8 weeks following birth.
A key element of improvement is the introduction of the all-Wales Perinatal Engagement Framework, which requires health boards to listen to and act on feedback from women, parents and families, including those from under-represented groups. This approach aims to ensure that the lived experiences of women shape the design and delivery of maternity and postnatal services and support improvements in safety, quality and experience.
Together, these measures are intended to ensure that women in north Wales receive high-quality, evidence-based postpartum care that supports their physical recovery, mental wellbeing, infant feeding, and transition to community services while ensuring that families' experiences directly inform future service improvements.
WQ100628 · Tabled · Answered
How many patients in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board area travel to Cardiff for PET scans in the last two calendar years?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
The Welsh Government’s role is to set the strategic direction for the NHS in Wales and to hold it to account for delivery. It is not the role of Welsh Ministers to require a health board to procure a specific company’s robotic equipment. Health boards must undertake the relevant procurement processes.
I expect the health board to deliver care in line with recommended clinical practice, as described by organisations such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. NICE has provided the following guidance for NHS services:
Overview | Prostate cancer: diagnosis and management | Guidance | NICE
This guidance recommends radical prostatectomy as a treatment option for localised and locally advanced prostate cancer. It goes onto recommend NHS services consider the provision of robotic-assisted surgery in centres that perform more than 150 robotic-assisted procedures a year.
The Welsh Government does not routinely collect data on the number of PET-CT scans or prostatectomies provided or commissioned by the health board. The health board indicates it has referred around 45 patients over the past two years for a PET-CT scan in south Wales and undertakes around 15-20 prostatectomies per year.
The health board has arrangements with providers in England to secure additional surgical capacity, including access to robotic-assisted surgery when required. However, not every patient is suitable for robotic-assisted surgery and decisions about treatment remain a matter of clinical judgement based on an individual's circumstances.
We are also supporting health boards and the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee to ensure equitable access to PET imaging across Wales. A new digital PET scanner entered clinical operation in north Wales in August 2026, improving image quality and increasing patient throughput. Subject to approval of a full business case, a new fixed PET-CT and nuclear medicine centre is proposed at Glan Clwyd Hospital.
In line with its escalation status, the health board is receiving intensive support from NHS Wales Performance and Improvement as it works to stabilise and improve its services, including urology. Its longer-term ambitions include increasing access to robotic-assisted surgery, establishing a nuclear medicine centre of excellence, and repatriating prostate cancer robotic surgery to more local providers.
Looking ahead, this Government has committed to developing a 10-year National Cancer Strategy for Wales to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, address inequities in access to services, and help the NHS prepare for future innovations in care, including evidence-based technologies such as robotic-assisted surgery.
WQ100627 · Tabled · Answered
What discussions is the Cabinet Minister having with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board about ensuring they have access to appropriate surgical machinery to prevent patients having to travel to London or Cardiff?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
The Welsh Government’s role is to set the strategic direction for the NHS in Wales and to hold it to account for delivery. It is not the role of Welsh Ministers to require a health board to procure a specific company’s robotic equipment. Health boards must undertake the relevant procurement processes.
I expect the health board to deliver care in line with recommended clinical practice, as described by organisations such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. NICE has provided the following guidance for NHS services:
Overview | Prostate cancer: diagnosis and management | Guidance | NICE
This guidance recommends radical prostatectomy as a treatment option for localised and locally advanced prostate cancer. It goes onto recommend NHS services consider the provision of robotic-assisted surgery in centres that perform more than 150 robotic-assisted procedures a year.
The Welsh Government does not routinely collect data on the number of PET-CT scans or prostatectomies provided or commissioned by the health board. The health board indicates it has referred around 45 patients over the past two years for a PET-CT scan in south Wales and undertakes around 15-20 prostatectomies per year.
The health board has arrangements with providers in England to secure additional surgical capacity, including access to robotic-assisted surgery when required. However, not every patient is suitable for robotic-assisted surgery and decisions about treatment remain a matter of clinical judgement based on an individual's circumstances.
We are also supporting health boards and the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee to ensure equitable access to PET imaging across Wales. A new digital PET scanner entered clinical operation in north Wales in August 2026, improving image quality and increasing patient throughput. Subject to approval of a full business case, a new fixed PET-CT and nuclear medicine centre is proposed at Glan Clwyd Hospital.
In line with its escalation status, the health board is receiving intensive support from NHS Wales Performance and Improvement as it works to stabilise and improve its services, including urology. Its longer-term ambitions include increasing access to robotic-assisted surgery, establishing a nuclear medicine centre of excellence, and repatriating prostate cancer robotic surgery to more local providers.
Looking ahead, this Government has committed to developing a 10-year National Cancer Strategy for Wales to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, address inequities in access to services, and help the NHS prepare for future innovations in care, including evidence-based technologies such as robotic-assisted surgery.
WQ100626 · Tabled · Answered
What discussions has the Cabinet Minister had with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board about acquiring a da Vinci surgical system?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
The Welsh Government’s role is to set the strategic direction for the NHS in Wales and to hold it to account for delivery. It is not the role of Welsh Ministers to require a health board to procure a specific company’s robotic equipment. Health boards must undertake the relevant procurement processes.
I expect the health board to deliver care in line with recommended clinical practice, as described by organisations such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. NICE has provided the following guidance for NHS services:
Overview | Prostate cancer: diagnosis and management | Guidance | NICE
This guidance recommends radical prostatectomy as a treatment option for localised and locally advanced prostate cancer. It goes onto recommend NHS services consider the provision of robotic-assisted surgery in centres that perform more than 150 robotic-assisted procedures a year.
The Welsh Government does not routinely collect data on the number of PET-CT scans or prostatectomies provided or commissioned by the health board. The health board indicates it has referred around 45 patients over the past two years for a PET-CT scan in south Wales and undertakes around 15-20 prostatectomies per year.
The health board has arrangements with providers in England to secure additional surgical capacity, including access to robotic-assisted surgery when required. However, not every patient is suitable for robotic-assisted surgery and decisions about treatment remain a matter of clinical judgement based on an individual's circumstances.
We are also supporting health boards and the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee to ensure equitable access to PET imaging across Wales. A new digital PET scanner entered clinical operation in north Wales in August 2026, improving image quality and increasing patient throughput. Subject to approval of a full business case, a new fixed PET-CT and nuclear medicine centre is proposed at Glan Clwyd Hospital.
In line with its escalation status, the health board is receiving intensive support from NHS Wales Performance and Improvement as it works to stabilise and improve its services, including urology. Its longer-term ambitions include increasing access to robotic-assisted surgery, establishing a nuclear medicine centre of excellence, and repatriating prostate cancer robotic surgery to more local providers.
Looking ahead, this Government has committed to developing a 10-year National Cancer Strategy for Wales to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, address inequities in access to services, and help the NHS prepare for future innovations in care, including evidence-based technologies such as robotic-assisted surgery.
WQ100625 · Tabled · Answered
How many prostatectomy patients in north Wales were sent to London for the surgery in the last two calendar years?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
The Welsh Government’s role is to set the strategic direction for the NHS in Wales and to hold it to account for delivery. It is not the role of Welsh Ministers to require a health board to procure a specific company’s robotic equipment. Health boards must undertake the relevant procurement processes.
I expect the health board to deliver care in line with recommended clinical practice, as described by organisations such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. NICE has provided the following guidance for NHS services:
Overview | Prostate cancer: diagnosis and management | Guidance | NICE
This guidance recommends radical prostatectomy as a treatment option for localised and locally advanced prostate cancer. It goes onto recommend NHS services consider the provision of robotic-assisted surgery in centres that perform more than 150 robotic-assisted procedures a year.
The Welsh Government does not routinely collect data on the number of PET-CT scans or prostatectomies provided or commissioned by the health board. The health board indicates it has referred around 45 patients over the past two years for a PET-CT scan in south Wales and undertakes around 15-20 prostatectomies per year.
The health board has arrangements with providers in England to secure additional surgical capacity, including access to robotic-assisted surgery when required. However, not every patient is suitable for robotic-assisted surgery and decisions about treatment remain a matter of clinical judgement based on an individual's circumstances.
We are also supporting health boards and the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee to ensure equitable access to PET imaging across Wales. A new digital PET scanner entered clinical operation in north Wales in August 2026, improving image quality and increasing patient throughput. Subject to approval of a full business case, a new fixed PET-CT and nuclear medicine centre is proposed at Glan Clwyd Hospital.
In line with its escalation status, the health board is receiving intensive support from NHS Wales Performance and Improvement as it works to stabilise and improve its services, including urology. Its longer-term ambitions include increasing access to robotic-assisted surgery, establishing a nuclear medicine centre of excellence, and repatriating prostate cancer robotic surgery to more local providers.
Looking ahead, this Government has committed to developing a 10-year National Cancer Strategy for Wales to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, address inequities in access to services, and help the NHS prepare for future innovations in care, including evidence-based technologies such as robotic-assisted surgery.
WQ100624 · Tabled · Answered
How many men have undergone a prostatectomy in north Wales in the last two calendar years?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
The Welsh Government’s role is to set the strategic direction for the NHS in Wales and to hold it to account for delivery. It is not the role of Welsh Ministers to require a health board to procure a specific company’s robotic equipment. Health boards must undertake the relevant procurement processes.
I expect the health board to deliver care in line with recommended clinical practice, as described by organisations such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. NICE has provided the following guidance for NHS services:
Overview | Prostate cancer: diagnosis and management | Guidance | NICE
This guidance recommends radical prostatectomy as a treatment option for localised and locally advanced prostate cancer. It goes onto recommend NHS services consider the provision of robotic-assisted surgery in centres that perform more than 150 robotic-assisted procedures a year.
The Welsh Government does not routinely collect data on the number of PET-CT scans or prostatectomies provided or commissioned by the health board. The health board indicates it has referred around 45 patients over the past two years for a PET-CT scan in south Wales and undertakes around 15-20 prostatectomies per year.
The health board has arrangements with providers in England to secure additional surgical capacity, including access to robotic-assisted surgery when required. However, not every patient is suitable for robotic-assisted surgery and decisions about treatment remain a matter of clinical judgement based on an individual's circumstances.
We are also supporting health boards and the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee to ensure equitable access to PET imaging across Wales. A new digital PET scanner entered clinical operation in north Wales in August 2026, improving image quality and increasing patient throughput. Subject to approval of a full business case, a new fixed PET-CT and nuclear medicine centre is proposed at Glan Clwyd Hospital.
In line with its escalation status, the health board is receiving intensive support from NHS Wales Performance and Improvement as it works to stabilise and improve its services, including urology. Its longer-term ambitions include increasing access to robotic-assisted surgery, establishing a nuclear medicine centre of excellence, and repatriating prostate cancer robotic surgery to more local providers.
Looking ahead, this Government has committed to developing a 10-year National Cancer Strategy for Wales to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, address inequities in access to services, and help the NHS prepare for future innovations in care, including evidence-based technologies such as robotic-assisted surgery.
WQ100524 · Tabled · Answered
Will the Cabinet Minister outline the issues with the pre-operative assessment clinic system which has caused the cancellation of surgeries and the inability to fully book operating lists in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
The operational management of theatre utilisation, scheduling processes and pre-operative assessment arrangements is a matter for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which is responsible for the day-to-day delivery of planned care services at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. The Health Board is therefore best placed to provide detailed information on the specific factors that have affected individual operating lists and any resulting cancellations.
More broadly, the Health Board has made progress in reducing long waits for treatment.
Whilst this progress is encouraging, challenges remain in maximising available capacity across planned care services, including ensuring operating theatres and clinic capacity are used as effectively as possible.
Officials from NHS Performance and Improvement are working closely with the Health Board to support recovery and maximise all available opportunities to improve planned care performance. This includes ongoing performance oversight, delivery support, sharing best practice and helping the organisation maximise the benefits of planned care recovery initiatives, additional capacity and pathway improvements. These efforts are intended to support further reductions in long waits and improve access to treatment for patients across North Wales.
The Welsh Government will continue to monitor performance closely through established accountability arrangements, while recognising that operational decisions relating to pre-operative assessment processes, theatre scheduling and service delivery remain the responsibility of the Health Board.
WQ100528 · Tabled · Answered
What discussions is the Cabinet Minister having with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to ensure that minutes of regular meetings such as morbidity and mortality, and clinical governance are being produced in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
The maintenance of minutes and other records arising from morbidity and mortality meetings, clinical governance meetings and similar forums is a matter for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. Health Boards are expected to have robust clinical governance arrangements in place and to maintain appropriate records to support oversight, assurance and organisational learning.
I receive regular assurance on quality, safety and governance matters from the Health Board through established oversight arrangements. Where concerns are identified, I expect the Health Board to take appropriate action and provide assurance that these have been addressed.
WQ100527 · Tabled · Answered
What consideration has the Cabinet Minister given to moving senior managers in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board's offices into office space existing in the major hospitals?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
This has not been considered. The management and use of office accommodation across Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, including the location of administrative and management functions, are operational matters for the Health Board - taking account of its local operational, workforce and estate requirements.
WQ100526 · Tabled · Answered
How is the Cabinet Minister working with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to ensure that day surgery admission unit beds are not being used as additional emergency beds?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
Our policy expectation for health boards is to both minimise the need to use day surgery beds for emergency care and improve experience and outcome for people who need hospital admission, thereby improving flow throughout the hospital and wider health and care system. This includes reducing long waits in emergency departments, improving timely assessment and treatment, earlier discharges in the day, reducing delayed discharges, and strengthening alternatives to admission where clinically appropriate. I will launch a new policy approach to drive improvement in November.
Where exceptional operational pressures occur, health boards may need to take short-term actions to maintain patient safety. However, I expect Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to have robust plans in place to protect elective and day surgery capacity wherever possible and to minimise disruption to planned care. NHS Wales Performance and Improvement will continue to monitor performance and support the health board in delivering improvements in both urgent and emergency care and planned care services.
WQ100523 · Tabled · Answered
How is the Cabinet Minister working with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to ensure that surgeries for cancer patients are not delayed?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
The management of operating theatre capacity and the scheduling of cancer surgery are matters for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. However, improving cancer care, outcomes and experiences remains a priority for this Government.
NHS Wales Performance and Improvement is working closely with the health board through regular performance oversight, monitoring delivery against national standards, identifying opportunities to increase capacity, and supporting service improvements to reduce delays. The Welsh Government will continue to hold the health board to account through established accountability arrangements while supporting local efforts to ensure cancer patients receive timely treatment.
More broadly, work is underway to develop the National Cancer Strategy for Wales, which will set out an ambitious 10-year vision for transforming the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, providing the NHS with the clarity it needs to deliver better care for the people of Wales.
WQ100489 · Tabled · Answered
What measures will the Welsh Government take to support the Abergele Eye Unit, which will become an isolated unit in the event of any service transfer to Llandudno Hospital?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
Welsh Government encourages health boards to develop sustainable, clinically led services strategies, including for eye care, which make best use of workforce, facilities and technology, and enable patients to access timely, high-quality care as close to home as possible.
The organisation and delivery of local ophthalmology services is a matter for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.
We have also expanded the scope of community eye care services through the Wales General Ophthalmic Services programme. This enables a wider range of assessment, monitoring and management to take place in community settings, supports better integration between primary and secondary care, and helps reduce pressure on hospital-based ophthalmology services.
Any future service changes should be informed by local needs and developed by the health board through appropriate engagement.
WQ100488 · Tabled · Answered
Is the Cabinet Minister aware that the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board plans to transfer elective orthopaedic activity to Llandudno, resulting in the closure of Abergele ward 6 with a plan to use the existing ward space for office use?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
I am aware of the planned capacity and configuration of services within the new North Wales Surgical Centre at Llandudno Hospital. However, the detailed design, service model and operational capacity of the facility are matters for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, who are responsible for commissioning and operating the service.
Welsh Government has provided £29.453m capital funding directly to the Health Board to support the development of the Centre and understands that the construction works are nearing completion, with the remaining work focused on the commissioning of equipment and infrastructure before patients can be treated.
Enhanced monitoring of the project is in place, supported by NHS Shared Services Partnership – Specialist Estate Services as technical advisers. Alongside this monitoring, the Welsh Government has strengthened financial oversight through the review of project returns and the introduction of monthly finance-specific meetings to discuss expenditure profiles. This is a complex programme of works and has been disappointingly extended due to a range of delays.
The purpose of the North Wales Surgical Centre is to support the delivery of planned elective care services and help improve patient access to treatment. Decisions regarding the number of theatres, beds, treatment spaces and the overall service capacity are for the Health Board to determine in line with clinical requirements, workforce availability and the needs of the population it serves.
Any comparison between the future capacity of the new facility and existing services at Abergele would therefore be a matter for the Health Board.
WQ100487 · Tabled · Answered
Is the Cabinet Minister aware that the creation of the new orthopaedics unit at Llandudno Hospital which has cost over £40 million to date could potentially create a smaller elective unit than the existing service in Abergele?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
I am aware of the planned capacity and configuration of services within the new North Wales Surgical Centre at Llandudno Hospital. However, the detailed design, service model and operational capacity of the facility are matters for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, who are responsible for commissioning and operating the service.
Welsh Government has provided £29.453m capital funding directly to the Health Board to support the development of the Centre and understands that the construction works are nearing completion, with the remaining work focused on the commissioning of equipment and infrastructure before patients can be treated.
Enhanced monitoring of the project is in place, supported by NHS Shared Services Partnership – Specialist Estate Services as technical advisers. Alongside this monitoring, the Welsh Government has strengthened financial oversight through the review of project returns and the introduction of monthly finance-specific meetings to discuss expenditure profiles. This is a complex programme of works and has been disappointingly extended due to a range of delays.
The purpose of the North Wales Surgical Centre is to support the delivery of planned elective care services and help improve patient access to treatment. Decisions regarding the number of theatres, beds, treatment spaces and the overall service capacity are for the Health Board to determine in line with clinical requirements, workforce availability and the needs of the population it serves.
Any comparison between the future capacity of the new facility and existing services at Abergele would therefore be a matter for the Health Board.
WQ100486 · Tabled · Answered
Will the Cabinet Minister set out the special measures that are currently adopted to monitor Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board performance in relation to the planning and expenditure on the Llandudno orthopaedic project?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
I am aware of the planned capacity and configuration of services within the new North Wales Surgical Centre at Llandudno Hospital. However, the detailed design, service model and operational capacity of the facility are matters for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, who are responsible for commissioning and operating the service.
Welsh Government has provided £29.453m capital funding directly to the Health Board to support the development of the Centre and understands that the construction works are nearing completion, with the remaining work focused on the commissioning of equipment and infrastructure before patients can be treated.
Enhanced monitoring of the project is in place, supported by NHS Shared Services Partnership – Specialist Estate Services as technical advisers. Alongside this monitoring, the Welsh Government has strengthened financial oversight through the review of project returns and the introduction of monthly finance-specific meetings to discuss expenditure profiles. This is a complex programme of works and has been disappointingly extended due to a range of delays.
The purpose of the North Wales Surgical Centre is to support the delivery of planned elective care services and help improve patient access to treatment. Decisions regarding the number of theatres, beds, treatment spaces and the overall service capacity are for the Health Board to determine in line with clinical requirements, workforce availability and the needs of the population it serves.
Any comparison between the future capacity of the new facility and existing services at Abergele would therefore be a matter for the Health Board.
WQ100377 · Tabled · Answered
How is the Cabinet Minister working with the Welsh Ambulance Trust to improve ambulance waiting times in north Wales?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
In July, the average response time to the highest acuity ‘Purple: arrest’ service users in north Wales was within target at 7 minutes 38 seconds. Orange category performance was the best in Wales at 46 minutes — nearly 20 minutes faster than the national average.
Further reductions in ambulance patient handover delays should support continued improvement, under the national expectation that all handovers are completed within 45 minutes of arrival.
In support, the Welsh Government is working with the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and NHS Wales Performance and Improvement to reduce ambulance waits by improving handover, patient flow and ambulance availability, with clear national expectations and targeted assistance for the health boards.
WQ100376 · Tabled · Answered
Will the Cabinet Minister confirm how many cases of salmonella have been confirmed in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board area over the last three months?
Answered by Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health
I am concerned to hear of a number of Salmonella poisoning cases linked to a wider UK outbreak associated with imported eggs.
Information on numbers of cases of salmonella in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board area over the last three months is not held centrally by Welsh Government.
This information is held by Public Health Wales, who have confirmed that over the last three months 11 cases have been confirmed in Wales, two of which are residents of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board area. Public Health Wales note that exposure of these two cases may not have occurred in the area.
WQ100374 · Tabled · Answered
Will the Cabinet Minister provide an update on how many car accidents requiring road closures have taken place on the A55 over the last two calendar years?
Answered by Deputy Minister for Transport
This question is a request for recorded information and has been passed for FoI response.
WQ100373 · Tabled · Answered
Will the Cabinet Minister provide an update on how many town and community councils are over 12 months overdue in submitting their audited accounts?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning
Community and town councils are responsible for meeting their statutory duties, including audit requirements and maintaining financial management and internal controls, as set out in the Accounts and Audit (Wales) Regulations. Audit Wales is responsible for auditing these.
The Welsh Government does not hold data on the most up-to-date information on the submission of community and town council accounts to Audit Wales. This information is held by Audit Wales. However, the latest published Audit Wales report (March 2025) noted around 20% of councils were more than 12 months late submitting their accounts. The Audit Wales report Financial Management and Governance – Lessons from Audit for Community and Town Councils in Wales published in March 2025 reminds councils and elected members of their responsibilities and of the guidance available to support them.
The Welsh Government supports councils to comply and strengthen governance across the sector in the following ways;
The Welsh Government is working with sector partners and Audit Wales to take forward work from the Senedd Committee’s ‘Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector’ to review community council audit system with Audit Wales.
WQ100372 · Tabled · Answered
What steps is the Cabinet Minister taking to ensure that town and community councils file their audited accounts within the relevant timescales and that these are published?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning
Community and town councils are responsible for meeting their statutory duties, including audit requirements and maintaining financial management and internal controls, as set out in the Accounts and Audit (Wales) Regulations. Audit Wales is responsible for auditing these.
The Welsh Government does not hold data on the most up-to-date information on the submission of community and town council accounts to Audit Wales. This information is held by Audit Wales. However, the latest published Audit Wales report (March 2025) noted around 20% of councils were more than 12 months late submitting their accounts. The Audit Wales report Financial Management and Governance – Lessons from Audit for Community and Town Councils in Wales published in March 2025 reminds councils and elected members of their responsibilities and of the guidance available to support them.
The Welsh Government supports councils to comply and strengthen governance across the sector in the following ways;
The Welsh Government is working with sector partners and Audit Wales to take forward work from the Senedd Committee’s ‘Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector’ to review community council audit system with Audit Wales.
WQ100258 · Tabled · Answered
How is the Cabinet Minister working with local authorities to support schools that have submitted a deficit budget?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
The Welsh Government provides funding to local authorities to support their funding of pre-16 provision in schools in Wales mainly through the local government revenue settlement. Decisions on the level of funding available to schools and to other services are made by each authority, as part of their overall budget and council tax setting.
Schools in deficit are expected to have a robust recovery plan in place that should be agreed and monitored by the local authority.
WQ100257 · Tabled · Answered
How is the Cabinet Minister working with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to ensure that pests are not found in hospitals?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
The Health Board are responsible for the operation and management of its estate. This includes ongoing maintenance and pest control where necessary. Each hospital site has a different environment with its own challenges, and any preventative measures or actions would need to be taken on a local site by site basis by the Estate Team at the Health Board.
WQ100256 · Tabled · Answered
How is the Welsh Government working with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to ensure that staff are trained in how to respond to unresponsive patients?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
Health Boards are responsible for ensuring their staff receive appropriate mandatory training, including training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), recognising and responding to patient deterioration, and the application of Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions where appropriate.
To support consistent approaches across NHS Wales, Welsh Government issued Welsh Health Circular WHC/2024/035 on standardising the management of acute deterioration. This requires the implementation of nationally agreed Early Warning Score systems to support the timely recognition, escalation, and response to deteriorating patients.
This work is being taken forward through the Acute Physical Deterioration Implementation Network, led by the NHS Wales Performance and Improvement function, which is supporting health boards and trusts to improve systems for recognising, escalating, and responding to acute deterioration.
WQ100255 · Tabled · Answered
Will the Cabinet Minister provide an update on what support is being provided to women who are experiencing early menopause?
Answered by Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
It is essential that services are provided in line with the latest evidence-based guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellent to identify the symptoms of menopause and manage care appropriately, regardless of age. This includes providing individualised care when prescribing HRT. It is essential that appropriate care pathways are in place to ensure women have access to the clinical support that best meets their individual needs in the right place and at the right time.
Menopause is one of the eight priorities in the NHS Wales Women’s Health Plan, and work is underway to improve access and consistency in services. This includes further development of Women’s Health Hubs to improve
access to support and treatment closer to home. Additional funding is being provided to health boards to further strengthen and expand Women’s Health Hub services across Wales.
The Women’s Health Website also provides dedicated information on menopause and early menopause, including symptoms, treatment options and sources of further support, to empower women to have informed conversations with their clinicians.
WQ100254 · Tabled · Answered
Will the Cabinet Minister provide an update on what actions they are taking to reduce the waiting times for hysterectomies?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
Reducing waiting times for gynaecology services, including hysterectomies, remains a priority for the Welsh Government. Working closely with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, who has responsibility for Women's Health, we are taking action through both the Women's Health Plan and our wider planned care recovery programme to improve timely access to diagnosis, treatment and surgery for women across Wales.
As part of this work, we have recently announced an additional £145 million investment in NHS Wales. This includes £100 million to support reductions in waiting times, £25 million for surgical and diagnostic capacity, and £20 million for essential estate improvements. Health Boards are expected to use this investment to increase activity, reduce long waits and improve access to treatment across a range of specialties, including gynaecology services.
The planned care recovery approach places a strong emphasis on increasing sustainable surgical capacity, improving productivity, expanding diagnostic services and ensuring that patients who have waited longest are treated more quickly. Health Boards are also expected to improve the management of referral pathways and make the best use of available theatre capacity to maximise the number of patients receiving treatment.
In addition, the Women's Health Plan is helping to improve how women access specialist care, ensuring that conditions affecting women's health receive greater focus and that services are designed around women's needs throughout their healthcare journey.
While waiting times vary across Wales and between individual providers, I expect all Health Boards to use the additional investment and the opportunities provided through the planned care recovery programme to deliver sustained improvements in access to gynaecology services, including hysterectomy procedures, and to reduce the number of women waiting for treatment.
WQ100153 · Tabled · Answered
What action is the Cabinet Minister taking to work with supermarkets on stopping the sale of disposable barbecues?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
The Welsh Government recognises the fire risk that disposable barbecues can pose during periods of dry weather. We welcome the recent statutory guidance issued by the UK Government in response to current wildfire risks. The regulation of product safety and the sale of consumer products, including disposable barbecues, is generally a matter for the UK Government.
Following discussion of wildfire risks at the UK Government's COBR meeting, the First Minister supported calls for retailers to suspend the sale of disposable barbecues during periods of extreme heat and drought, in line with existing voluntary arrangements developed with fire sector partners. The First Minister has also committed to convene a multi-agency summit to consider how Wales can further strengthen wildfire prevention and resilience.
More broadly, the Welsh Government supports multi-agency work through the Wales Wildfire Board, which brings together public sector partners to improve wildfire prevention, awareness and education across Wales, including through campaigns such as #WildfireWise.
Official verbatim record: each question and answer as the Record prints it. Answers are signed with a job title, as published.