Meetings

The Committee considered further comments from the petitioner and, given the detailed consideration given to this petition over a number of years and the comprehensive recent responses from health boards, agreed to close the petition on the basis that the outstanding issues would be best taken forward at an operational level. In doing so, Members agreed to provide the petitioners’ further proposals to the Welsh Government for information and ask if the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport would be prepared to meet with them.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to await the views of the petitioners on the information received before deciding on any appropriate further action.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to:

• write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport to ask if the petitioners can be provided with the assurances they are seeking regarding:
• whether a national decision-making forum with resources is sufficiently aware of service risks and assigns an informed priority to the situation; and
• neuromuscular services are included within the scope of the national review of neurosciences in Wales being led by WHSSC
• write to all Local Health Boards seeking their views on the issues raised by the petition.

5.3a The Committee noted the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport regarding improving Specialised Neuromuscular Services in Wales

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to ask the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee to share a copy of the Cabinet Secretary for Health Well-being and Sport’s response when received, and seek further views from the petitioner at that point.

7.1 The Committee undertook further consideration of Petition P-04-532 and noted that the Neurological Conditions Delivery Plan is due for renewal in 2017. The Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport to seek an update on the relevant deliverables and on specific actions the Welsh Government is taking.

11.1 The Committee discussed the correspondence from the Chair of the Petitions Committee and asked for some additional background information from the Research Service before considering the matter further at a later meeting.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to:

·         ask the incoming Health Committee to consider the issues raised by the petition and to share the Health Boards’ correspondence with them and, depending on their decision;

·         advise the incoming Petitions Committee to undertake a short piece of work on the matter.

6.3a The Committee noted the correspondence.

Bethan Jenkins declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

She is Chair of the Cross Party Group on Muscular Dystrophy and Neuromuscular Conditions.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to:

• Pursue with Health Boards how the benefits of additional neuromuscular consultant time (as identified by ABMU in particular) can be realised across Wales; and
• write to the Health and Social Care Committee asking them to consider the issue as part of their forward work programme.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to:

• Health Boards and the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee asking them to consider the specific actions called for in the petitioner’s letter;
• the Minister asking for an update on the issue now that an appointment is in place; and
• the Cross party Group for Muscular Dystrophy and Neuromuscular Conditions so that they were aware of the latest position.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to:

• ask the Minister to be kept informed of progress in appointing a successor to Dr Andrew Goodall; and
• seek responses from the Health Boards who have not yet responded to the Committee’s original letter, copying in the Health Minister. 

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to:

·         write to the Minister to ask about progress in appointing a successor to Dr Andrew Goodall as Chair of the Welsh Neuromuscular Network and about progress on the other matters identified by the petitioners; and

·         seek responses from the Health Boards who have not responded to the Committee’s original letter.

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to:

·         the Minister for Health and Social Services; and

·         all Local Health Boards

seeking thier views on the petition.