​Written Assembly Questions tabled on 14 June 2017 for answer on 21 June 2017
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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 Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport
Dai Lloyd (South Wales West): Will the Cabinet Secretary provide a detailed breakdown of the NHS Wales computers and services affected by the recent NHS Cyber attack, by location, and whether there continues to be any residual affect at these locations? (WAQ73658)
Answer received on 21 June 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport (Vaughan Gething): The global coordinated ransomware attack on thousands of private and public sector organisations across 150 countries which started Friday 12 May affected two Health Boards within Wales.
- In Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, one non-clinical device located within Singleton Hospital was affected by the cyber attack. There was no impact on clinical or patient services as a result of the attack on this device and no clinical data was lost. The attack was identified through the monitoring of suspicious activity on the network and the device was promptly isolated from the network. The device has now been completely removed and replaced. There is no residual impact on services.
- Within Cwm Taf University Health Board (CTUHB) six virtual servers were affected by the cyber-attack. These servers were not user-facing and did not provide access to any systems or any patient data. The servers were part of a resilient set-up and the only potential compromise was to back-up systems that were not business critical. The servers were immediately isolated and were replaced within 12 hours, re-establishing full system resilience. There has been no residual affect at CTUHB as a result.
The response from NHS Wales Informatics Service and NHS Wales was strong, concerted and ultimately successful in dealing with a complex threat to our ICT architecture.
Dai Lloyd (South Wales West): Will the Cabinet Secretary agree to regularly publish the number of patients who are suffering delays to their ophthalmology follow-up treatment, as part of their regular suite of performance indicators on the health service? (WAQ73659)
Answer received on 21 June 2017
Vaughan Gething: I expect all patients to be seen in order of clinical priority, whether that is for a first outpatient appointment or follow-up treatment.
My officials receive management information on a monthly basis from health boards detailing the number of patients waiting for follow-up appointments, whether they have been delayed, and if so, by how much.
In addition, all health boards publish data on the number of patients waiting for follow-up appointments, with two health boards, Cwm Taf and Hywel Dda, reporting the information by speciality.
We continue to work with health boards to ensure the information provided is of a robust nature and fit for purpose.
Dai Lloyd (South Wales West): What is the expected completion date or month of the NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership modelling and analysis, regarding the pay gap affecting Welsh trainee doctors specialising in histopathology? (WAQ73660)
Answer received on 21 June 2017
Vaughan Gething: It remains the position that NHS Employers in Wales are continuing their work to understand the full range of implications the new contract in England raises for junior doctors and the NHS in Wales. I understand that the BMA is still in negotiations with the Department of Health in England on certain aspects of the new contract and its associated assimilation arrangements.