English: Deputy Presiding Officer, the petition we are discussing today is titled 'Provide a clinical pathway, medical care, and specialists for people with Tourette's syndrome in Wales'. This petition has received 10,393 signatures. It states that Tourette's affects one in 100 children, that it is not a rare condition and that, in Wales, there is one specialist, who doesn't see children. The petition calls for 'a proper, clear, clinical pathway and access to specialist provision and medical care for people with Tourette's syndrome in Wales.' As I stand here today, Deputy Presiding Officer, we are 10 days into Tourette's Awareness Month, an attempt to raise awareness of Tourette's syndrome and the difficulties it can cause for one in 100 children and adults. I would at this point like to thank the Business Committee for scheduling this debate so promptly, so that we can contribute to the awareness raising. Deputy Presiding Officer, the petition highlights the difficulties sufferers can face in Wales. Low levels of awareness mean it can be hard to get diagnosed, a lack of specialist care means it can be hard to get fast access to the support that can make life a little bit easier, and there can be enormous inconsistencies in the treatments, based on in which part you live in Wales. We can do better, and we must do better. Now, of course, I do welcome the action taken by campaigners to raise awareness, including those celebrities like Billy Eilish and our very own Hefin David, who just recently brought his family's experience with autism into the Chamber, and the link that has there too. But, just like Billy Eilish and Hefin David, the petitioner, Helen Reeves-Graham, what they really want to see is not just raising awareness, they want to see real change, Deputy Presiding Officer - change in their communities and real change in their lives and the lives of the people they love. If I may use Helen's own words, and I quote: 'Ideally we would love to see a specialist Tourettes clinic within Wales that would offer a complete care package from therapy, access to medications, help with sleep, behaviour difficulties, mobility difficulties, managing pain and help with other co morbidities. Help and support needs to be available in ALL parts of Wales. The people that would be providing these services need to be fully trained. Access to a specialist in WALES is absolutely needed.' And I know the Deputy Minister is committed to improving assessment and support services for all neurodevelopmental conditions, including Tourette's syndrome, and that she has met the petitioner and others to hear directly from patients and their families about the difficulties they face. Listening to those with lived experience is crucial if we are to truly understand the needs and the type of support they require. A constituent has recently contacted my office and shared her family's distress due to the lack of support services. She described her eight-year-old son and how Tourette's impacts his life. She says that her son doesn't swear, but his condition is far more challenging and, in her words, Presiding Officer, and I quote: 'He suffers with extreme anxiety and has intrusive thoughts. He had talked about how he wants to die. He tells me it's his tics saying this in his head and he feels that he wants to get a Knife to stab himself.' At the time, her son was seven, and the school immediately referred to child and adolescent mental health services, but they were told there would be a very long wait. Presiding Officer, her son suffers with violent tics in his head, face and jaw. His eyes burn, he bangs his head, he has poor motor skills, he can just about write, he has very poor control over his bowels and experiences a great deal of pain in his body from sudden involuntary movements, amongst a range of other challenges. And despite all of his suffering, the family have been unable to access specialist services, apart from the constant support of the school special educational needs co-ordinator. She describes a very bleak picture of how our health system is failing her son and fears for his future. She calls for all professionals to be better educated about this crippling condition. She also calls for suitable help, support and a clear medical pathway, from the GP upwards. This is what her son and others with Tourette's deserve - the right to be understood, to be respected and to receive the care and support they so desperately need. Presiding Officer, the results of the demand and capacity review of all-age neurodevelopmental services, which was due to report at the end of March, will, of course, inform the approach taken by the Welsh Government in the coming years and months. And I would be grateful, in responding to this debate, if the Minister can share some of her thoughts. Presiding Officer, I do look forward to hearing from other Members this afternoon and, of course, hearing from the Deputy Minister. Diolch yn fawr.
Welsh: Ddirprwy Lywydd, teitl y ddeiseb yr ydym yn ei thrafod heddiw yw 'Darparu llwybr clinigol, gofal meddygol, ac arbenigwyr i bobl â Syndrom Tourette yng Nghymru'. Mae'r ddeiseb hon wedi derbyn 10,393 o lofnodion. Mae'n dweud bod Syndrom Tourette yn effeithio ar un o bob 100 o blant, nad yw'n gyflwr prin ac mae gan Gymru un arbenigwr nad yw'n gweld plant. Mae'r ddeiseb yn galw am '[l]wybr priodol, clir a chlinigol, a mynediad at ddarpariaeth arbenigol a gofal meddygol i bobl â Syndrom Tourette yng Nghymru.' Wrth imi sefyll yma heddiw, Ddirprwy Lywydd, rydym 10 diwrnod i mewn i Fis Ymwybyddiaeth Syndrom Tourette, ymgais i godi ymwybyddiaeth o syndrom Tourette a'r anawsterau y gall eu hachosi i un o bob 100 o blant ac oedolion. Hoffwn ddiolch yn awr i'r Pwyllgor Busnes am amserlennu'r ddadl hon mor brydlon, er mwyn inni allu cyfrannu at y gwaith o godi ymwybyddiaeth. Ddirprwy Lywydd, mae'r ddeiseb yn tynnu sylw at yr anawsterau y gall dioddefwyr eu hwynebu yng Nghymru. Mae lefelau isel o ymwybyddiaeth yn golygu y gall fod yn anodd cael diagnosis, mae diffyg gofal arbenigol yn golygu y gall fod yn anodd cael mynediad cyflym at gymorth a all wneud bywyd ychydig yn haws, a gall fod anghysonderau enfawr yn y triniaethau, yn dibynnu ar lle rydych yn byw yng Nghymru. Gallwn wneud yn well, ac mae'n rhaid inni wneud yn well. Nawr, wrth gwrs, rwy'n croesawu'r camau a gymerwyd gan ymgyrchwyr i godi ymwybyddiaeth, gan gynnwys enwogion fel Billy Eilish a'n Hefin David ein hunain, sydd wedi rhannu profiad ei deulu o awtistiaeth gyda'r Siambr yn ddiweddar, a'r cysylltiad sydd yno hefyd. Ond yn union fel Billy Eilish a Hefin David, yr hyn y mae'r deisebydd, Helen Reeves-Graham, eisiau ei weld mewn gwirionedd yw newid gwirioneddol, ac nid codi ymwybyddiaeth yn unig, Ddirprwy Lywydd - newid yn eu cymunedau a newid gwirioneddol yn eu bywydau a bywydau'r bobl y maent yn eu caru. Os caf ddefnyddio geiriau Helen ei hun: 'Yn ddelfrydol, byddem wrth ein bodd yn gweld clinig arbenigol ar gyfer Syndrom Tourette yng Nghymru a fyddai'n cynnig pecyn gofal cyflawn o therapi, mynediad at feddyginiaethau, cymorth gyda chysgu, anawsterau ymddygiad, anawsterau symudedd, rheoli poen a help gyda chydafiacheddau eraill. Mae angen i gymorth a chefnogaeth fod ar gael ym mhob rhan o Gymru. Mae angen i'r bobl a fyddai'n darparu'r gwasanaethau hyn gael eu hyfforddi'n llawn. Mae gwir angen mynediad at arbenigwr yng Nghymru.' A gwn fod y Dirprwy Weinidog wedi ymrwymo i wella asesiadau a gwasanaethau cymorth ar gyfer pob cyflwr niwroddatblygiadol, gan gynnwys syndrom Tourette, a'i bod wedi cyfarfod â'r deisebydd ac eraill i glywed yn uniongyrchol gan gleifion a'u teuluoedd am yr anawsterau y maent yn eu hwynebu. Mae gwrando ar y rhai sydd â phrofiad byw yn hanfodol os ydym am ddeall yr anghenion a'r math o gymorth sydd ei angen arnynt mewn gwirionedd. Mae etholwr wedi cysylltu â fy swyddfa yn ddiweddar ac wedi rhannu gofid ei theulu oherwydd diffyg gwasanaethau cymorth. Disgrifiodd ei mab wyth oed a sut y mae syndrom Tourette yn effeithio ar ei fywyd. Mae'n dweud nad yw ei mab yn rhegi, ond mae ei gyflwr yn llawer mwy heriol ac yn ei geiriau hi, Lywydd: 'Mae'n dioddef gyda gorbryder eithafol ac mae'n cael meddyliau ymwthiol. Mae wedi siarad am sut y mae eisiau marw. Mae'n dweud wrthyf mai ei diciau sy'n dweud hyn yn ei ben ac mae'n teimlo ei fod eisiau estyn cyllell i drywanu ei hun.' Ar y pryd, roedd ei mab yn saith oed, a chafodd ei atgyfeirio gan yr ysgol ar unwaith at wasanaethau iechyd meddwl plant a'r glasoed, ond dywedwyd wrthynt y byddai ar restr aros hir iawn. Lywydd, mae ei mab yn dioddef o diciau ffrynig yn ei ben, ei wyneb a'i ên. Mae ei lygaid yn llosgi, mae'n curo ei ben, mae ganddo sgiliau echddygol gwael, prin y mae'n gallu ysgrifennu, mae ei reolaeth ar gael ei weithio yn wael iawn ac mae'n dioddef llawer iawn o boen yn ei gorff o ganlyniad i symudiadau anwirfoddol sydyn, ymhlith amryw o heriau eraill. Ac er gwaethaf ei holl ddioddefaint, nid yw'r teulu wedi gallu cael gafael ar wasanaethau arbenigol, ar wahân i gefnogaeth gyson cydlynydd anghenion addysgol arbennig yr ysgol. Mae'n disgrifio darlun llwm iawn o'r modd y mae ein system iechyd yn gwneud cam â'i mab ac mae'n ofni ynghylch ei ddyfodol. Mae'n galw am addysg well i bob gweithiwr proffesiynol ynglŷn â'r cyflwr andwyol hwn. Mae hefyd yn galw am gymorth addas, cefnogaeth a llwybr meddygol clir, o'r meddyg teulu i fyny. Dyma mae ei mab ac eraill sy'n dioddef o syndrom Tourette yn ei haeddu - yr hawl i gael eu deall, eu parchu ac i gael y gofal a'r gefnogaeth y maent eu hangen mor daer. Lywydd, bydd canlyniadau'r adolygiad gallu a galw o wasanaethau niwroddatblygiadol i rai o bob oed, a oedd i fod i adrodd ar ddiwedd mis Mawrth, yn llywio'r dull o weithredu y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei fabwysiadu yn y blynyddoedd a'r misoedd nesaf. A byddwn yn ddiolchgar pe byddai'r Gweinidog yn gallu rhannu rhai o'i syniadau wrth ymateb i'r ddadl hon. Lywydd, edrychaf ymlaen at glywed gan Aelodau eraill y prynhawn yma, ac wrth gwrs, at glywed gan y Dirprwy Weinidog. Diolch yn fawr.