Written Assembly Questions tabled on 30 April 2015 for answer on 8 May 2015
R - Signifies the Member has declared an interest.
W - Signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.
(Self identifying Question no. shown in brackets)
Written Questions must be tabled at least five working days before they are to be answered. In practice, Ministers aim to answer within seven/eight days but are not bound to do so. Answers are published in the language in which they are provided, with a translation into English of responses provided in Welsh.
To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services
Elin Jones (Ceredigion): Does the Welsh Government intend to issue a response to the final report of the Penrose inquiry? (WAQ68649)
Answer received on 11 May 2015
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford): The Penrose Inquiry covered a complicated series of events in Scotland. This is a valuable review of the Scottish experience. It will form part of continuing consideration of these matters between all four UK nations. I do not intend to issue a formal Wales-only response to the Report.
Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): How many hospitals in Wales have at least one Inflammatory Bowel Disease specialist nurse and how many of these are full-time? (WAQ68650)Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): What is the average waiting time for elective surgery for a person with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: (i) for the last three years; and (ii) for each hospital in Wales? (WAQ68651)
Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): What assessment has the Minister made of the waiting times for elective surgery for people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease? (WAQ68652)
Answer received on 11 May 2015
Mark Drakeford:
The number of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) specialist nurses per hospital in Wales is described in the Royal College of Physicians' organisational audit report for IBD services:
https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/ibdauditround4
Data on waiting times for elective surgery for IBD is available from individual health boards. The audit report recommends services implement local systems to monitor waiting times for newly-diagnosed and relapsing IBD patients.
People with IBD who are referred for treatment should receive it in order of clinical priority, within Welsh Government targets.