, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services
Thank you for that question. Clearly, our aim in Wales is to have a 'no wrong door' service. We have targets in place in Wales for primary mental health services and access to other services. Services are under pressure at the moment and we are taking action…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being: 'Together for Mental Health' Strategy and Next Steps
Thank you, Delyth, for making those points. I entirely recognise what is, in some ways, a unique form of grief with a miscarriage, because, often, people don't recognise it as the devastating loss that it is, and that compounds the grief that people feel when…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being: 'Together for Mental Health' Strategy and Next Steps
Thank you very much, Jane, and thank you for the kind words as well, which are much appreciated. I just want to be clear that I didn't say that all young people don't need specialist mental health support. What we know, though, is that some of those young…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being: 'Together for Mental Health' Strategy and Next Steps
Can I thank Rhun ap Iorwerth for his comments, and particularly the recognition of the positive work that's been undertaken through the strategy? I absolutely agree that we must get this right, and, as you've acknowledged, we have hugely increased investment…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being: 'Together for Mental Health' Strategy and Next Steps
Can I thank the Member for those comments? Obviously, there were a lot of issues there to respond to. If I can pick up, first of all, on your comments about the reporting on the 'Together for Mental Health' strategy, there are regular reports made to the…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being: 'Together for Mental Health' Strategy and Next Steps
With this investment, we have transformed services implemented at the start of the strategy. This includes the creation of local primary mental health teams across Wales, crisis resolution and home treatment teams, psychiatric liaison services and community…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being: 'Together for Mental Health' Strategy and Next Steps
Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. Yesterday we marked World Mental Health Day, and this Government is steadfast in its commitment to improve the protection of and support for mental health and well-being. This is demonstrated through my appointment as dedicated…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
Thank you for having us.
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
I think what you're referring to, Chair, is that some of the royal colleges have called for a health inequalities strategy in Wales, and obviously they've made similar calls to the Welsh Government. I don't think we need a new strategy at the moment. As we…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
Well, as I said, poverty is a key factor in driving mental health problems, and indeed, in some cases can be a driver of suicide. The cost-of-living crisis is the primary concern of Welsh Government at the moment, and I think the importance we attach to it is…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
Yes, it covers inequalities. It's a key part of the programme, to reduce mental health inequalities.
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
Well, we do have a cross-government strategy on mental health. 'Together for Mental Health' is a cross-government strategy, and it covers housing, employment, debt advice, income maximisation—
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
Thanks, Chair. As I said at the beginning, we are striking a balance, really, between early intervention and prevention and meeting the needs of people as they present to services, and obviously meeting the needs of people with serious mental illness is…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
Thanks, Ken. Obviously, we're doing what we can to measure unmet need. Since the pandemic, the Welsh Government's knowledge and analytical services team and the national collaborative commissioning unit undertook a piece of work on mental health demand, and…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
Thank you, Ken. In terms of the mental health core data set, obviously, the committee will be aware it's taken longer than we would have liked, but I'm very pleased to say that the draft core mental health data set has now been impact tested with health…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
Thank you, Ken. I think you're aware that suicide prevention is something that is particularly close to my heart, and in particular the prevention of young suicide. I think what I described when I wrote to the committee was a step change, really, in our…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
It's absolutely emphatically not the case that we're not moving on it. I have been a long-standing supporter of that legislation from when it was introduced by Kirsty Williams, and I'm also on the record as a backbencher highlighting the importance of safe…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
The new mental health workforce plan has a strong focus on well-being, which I was very pleased to see. But, that is already a priority area for Welsh Government. We recognise the pressures people have been under. Specifically in terms of the NHS, we have…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
Thanks, Rhun. I read the RCN's evidence, so I was aware of their concerns. Obviously, this has been an incredibly challenging time for the workforce in Wales with COVID and everything, so there are huge pressures. The purpose, though, of our mental health…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
Absolutely, I think there's much more scope to involve the wider workforce, and you're right to highlight occupational therapists. I think they can play a really important role. As I've been going out and about across Wales, I've talked to some of the staff…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
Well, the £50 million that we've got now has been allocated anyway to other things, hasn't it, Tracey?
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
Where they have provided costed plans, they are quite high costs, I think it's safe to say, and I'm also very conscious that we are staring down the barrel of a gun here in terms of Welsh Government in terms of our budget being worth much less than we had…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
To give you an example, infant mental health is something that's been picked up as part of the plan, which is something that I am personally really, really keen on and is something that, perhaps, there hasn't been enough focus on in the past. We look at…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
Well, those are some immediate priorities to tackle some immediate pressures. Going forward, it's—. When you see the plan, you will see that it is a very broad, wide-ranging document that focuses on all aspects of workforce planning in mental health. So, we…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
Thank you, Rhun. And you are quite right that workforce is absolutely key. We’re investing all this additional money into mental health services and we have to have the workforce with the right skills in the right places to deliver on what we’re trying to…
