Following the news that there could be a three year wait for care home fees refunds, Aberconwy AM, Councillor Janet Finch-Saunders, has called upon Health and Social Services Minister, Lesley Griffiths to make a statement on how the Welsh Government plans to speed up the process.

Janet said: “It is unacceptable that so many patients, or in many cases, surviving relatives, have been waiting for a decade for a resolution to their claim for reimbursement. That many will have to wait another 3 years before their claim is resolved will only add insult to injury.

Several months ago, we called for action to streamline the process, cut out unnecessary bureaucracy, and for an examination of staff numbers to speed up the processing of continuing care claims. These calls apparently fell on deaf ears.

It is essential the Welsh Government gets to grips with this issue – for both the patients, their families, and the public purse. With each day that passes, the interest on this debt increases and it is therefore imperative these cases are dealt with as soon as possible.”