Written question WQ93084
- Asked by
- Janet Finch-SaundersConservative
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 4 days
Question
What steps is the Cabinet Secretary taking to improve the availability of substance misuse teams in accident and emergency departments across Wales during the weekends?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
Health boards are responsible for operational matters such as service coverage and staffing configuration to meet the needs of their population. The Welsh Government provides Health boards with over £22m through ring-fenced allocations annually to support their substance misuse services. In addition, over £41m is provided to Area Planning Boards, of which health boards are key members, and jointly have responsibility for commissioning services to meet local need.
Our expectations of emergency departments (ED), as set out in the Quality Statement for care in ED, include having processes in place to recognise protected characteristics and circumstances, including parts of the community at most risk, to provide tailored care and support equitable outcomes. Within quarter one of 2024/2025, health boards are required to develop action plans setting out how they will deliver against our expectations.