Mike Hedges asks for Ministerial Statement on Orthopedic Waiting Lists

Mike Hedges asks for Ministerial Statement on Orthopaedic Waiting Lists

Speaking from his Senedd office after the Ministerial Questions on Tuesday, Local Swansea East Senedd Member, Mike Hedges said… ‘ I have many constituents on waiting lists for orthopaedic surgery and welcome the extra investment mentioned by the Minister. I would like to understand if the Welsh Government see the establishment of Centre Of Excellence as a way forward applicable to the whole of Wales.

I welcome any initiative which address the long waiting lists faced by some of my constituents with in many instances, very painful conditions.’

Mike Hedges MS14:34:16

The second statement I’m asking for is on orthopaedic waiting lists. In Swansea bay health board, there are plans for Neath Port Talbot Hospital to become a centre of excellence for orthopaedics, spinal care, diagnostics, rehabilitation and rheumatology  I would like a ministerial statement on whether the Minister sees this as a way forward across Wales. 111

Lesley Griffiths MS14:34:54

I think you will have heard both the First Minister and the Minister for Health and Social Services say that orthopaedic waiting times are not where we want them to be, like other waiting times. Significant additional funding has been given to reducing orthopaedic waiting times—I think it’s over £170 million now, recurrently—to help address that backlog, and we are now seeing waiting times reducing, but, as I say, not at the pace that we would want to. The health Minister did hold an orthopaedic summit back in August, to make sure that health boards were aware of what was needed to bring an improvement in this area of the health service, and a national orthopaedic strategy has also been developed, and we’re funding the development of an orthopaedic network.