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This week’s short debate was from Mark Isherwood MS (Con, North Wales) on the Welsh Government’s Neurological Conditions Delivery Plan. Mark chairs the Senedd’s cross-party group on neurological conditions, whose work informed the short debate.
Commitment to neurological conditions needed across the Welsh NHS
Neurological conditions is a catch-all term, with more than 250 recognised conditions and more than 100,000 people in Wales living with one.
While there are joined-up, national networks and co-ordination for conditions like cancer, cardiac disorders and renal disorders, Mark said the situation is far more patchy for neurological conditions – though the delivery plan has shone a light on some of these problems.
There was clearly room for improvement, particularly in terms of communication, lack of data on the delivery and outcomes for patients and the removal of a requirement for local health boards to publish neurological delivery plans.
“Due to the low starting baseline, the neurological conditions implementation group has yet to deliver anything like the scale of change required to ensure that people with neurological conditions across the whole of Wales have safe, timely and equitable access to treatment, services and support. Though the current approach has begun to yield positive results, it will not be possible to create the step change that is needed without a wider strategic commitment from across NHS Wales, from Welsh Government and local authorities at a senior level.”
– Mark Isherwood MS
Neurological delivery plan extended
Health Minister, Vaughan Gething (Lab, Cardiff S. & Penarth), said the delivery plan will be extended to March 2022 to allow more time to learn lessons and to take into account the pandemic.
Mark Isherwood is a vocal champion of co-production – involving service-users in the design and delivery of the services they use – and the Minister said this approach was being used to take forward priorities.
“….the patient voice is fundamental if we’re to improve the quality of our services across health and care….The (neurological conditions) implementation group has extended funding to the Welsh Neurological Alliance, so that their project manager can develop a network of service users across Wales to inform awareness-raising and raising support for future service improvements. The Wales Neurological Alliance plays a crucial role in raising awareness and signposting information for each condition where appropriate.”
– Health Minister, Vaughan Gething
