Cwestiwn ysgrifenedig WQ82500

I expect health boards to work with partners to ensure children have access to those services, which have been defined as essential by the World Health Organisation. As we begin to re-set and recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, health services must now plan and increasingly deliver more routine services. To support this, in March, we published Health and Social Care in Wales – COVID-19: Looking forward which sets out the high level approach we will take, building on new ways of working and opportunities to do things differently.

The pandemic has had a significant impact on the ability of children to access services, including essential services. It is therefore vital that health boards prioritise and consider the needs of children.

My officials are working with health boards to understand the impacts of the pandemic on paediatric surgery, in particular, where waiting times have been impacted as resources have been focused on Covid response. I expect health board recovery plans to include specific elements, with target dates, on the recovery and catch up of essential children’s services, including paediatric surgical services.

The health and care workforce and patients have been flexible in adapting to new ways of communicating and this has ensured people have access to the support they require, using a variety of approaches including telephone, digital and face-to-face contact.

Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists, have worked together in multi-professional teams, adopting new digital ways of working, to deliver the highest quality of care and improve health outcomes.

Prime responsibility for the provision of speech and language therapy (SALT) services to children rests with the NHS. However, under the Education Act 1996, local authorities and schools are responsible for providing suitable educational provision for all children including those with special educational needs such as speech language and communication difficulties (SLCD).

All SALT services, both in Flying Start and specialist areas have continued to deliver services virtually throughout the pandemic using a range of innovative approaches which have been well received by families. The Attend Anywhere evaluation included very good representation of SALTs and their patients and was very positive overall.

The majority of children with SLCD will be supported by school-based interventions through differentiated teaching practice. Where a child’s needs fall outside of standard practice it may be more appropriate for school practitioners to deliver a regular and discrete programme of intervention under the guidance and supervision of a SALT. For some children a language programme that is an integral part of the whole school day is more appropriate.