Written question WQ86915
- Asked by
- Laura Anne JonesConservative
- To be answered by
- Minister for Health and Social Services
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 8 days
Question
What is the Minister doing to address the month-on-month increase of patients who have waited over 56 days from initial assessment to start mental health therapy?
Answer
Answered by Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing
We have ensured that over £20million of the additional £50m for mental health and well-being this year (2022-23) is directly allocated to health boards to recover waiting lists and to continue to develop services in priority areas. Currently, we continue to see services experience increased referrals and more complexity and acuity of patients. Against this backdrop all health boards have developed trajectories to recover performance (adult services and CAMHS) and we expect to see significant improvements in performance by April 2023.
We have implemented robust arrangements to monitor health boards on progress through monthly performance meetings with the NHS Delivery Unit and the Welsh Government. All LHBs also meet with the NHS Delivery Unit quarterly to consider any emerging themes. We have ensured that mental health related improvements are also included in the accountability letters to health boards as part of their IMTPs / annual plans. Officials routinely monitor and challenge progress through the individual health board Integrated Quality and Delivery Boards (IQDBs) and JET (Joint Executive Team) process.