Will the Minister provide an update on the work that is being undertaken to improve healthcare provision for women and girls?
In July, I published the Women and Girls Health Quality Statement. The quality statement is the important first step in our plans to transform the care received by women in Wales. It sets out what the NHS is expected to deliver to ensure good quality health services to support women and girls through the course of their lives. Since July, the NHS Wales Collaborative has led the development of a Women’s Health Plan which will be owned by the NHS and will form the service’s response to the requirements set out in the Quality Statement.
To support the development of the Plan, a survey into women’s health was launched by Judith Paget, NHS Wales Chief Executive, on 5th August. This survey attracted over 4,000 individual responses from women and girls aged 16 to 85 and above. The responses have provided incredibly rich detail on the issues and concerns affecting women and their health in Wales. In addition, over 1000 people from across Wales have registered their interest to take part in one of the focus groups being held this week.
This approach demonstrates a clear commitment for the Women’s Health Plan to be driven by the voices of Welsh women and girls. I expect the first phase of the women’s health plan to be published this autumn.