Russell George: Can I thank the Minister for her statement today? I genuinely welcome the announcement today. I certainly support the increased funding for the number of allied health professionals within the primary and community care settings. I certainly think that’s the right move, particularly for the reasons you’ve outlined. I think it’ll free up resources and allow people to be treated much...
Russell George: Diolch, Llywydd, and I move the amendments in the name of my colleague Darren Millar. Can I thank Plaid Cymru for bringing forward this debate again? I say 'again' because we keep having health debates. It's very similar to a debate brought forward last week, and I don't think that we can have too many health debates in this Chamber. The Minister's looking, like, 'Please ease up a bit', but I...
Russell George: It's, of course, incredibly difficult to ensure that the Government can plan efficiently, in terms of capacity for dental care in Wales, if the Government or health boards don't know how many people are waiting for an NHS appointment. I know you would agree with that position, Minister. It's also unacceptable, of course, that people, once they're on a waiting list, could be waiting up to 26...
Russell George: Thank you, Minister, for the statement today. It's very much welcome, and the cancer plan is very much welcome indeed also. It was, until this morning, that Wales was the only area of Britain that didn't have a cancer plan, and the cancer plan is well overdue. But, on a positive note, we've got the cancer plan today, and it's very much welcome. What I did particularly like, as I looked...
Russell George: 7. How is the Welsh Government supporting businesses to extend their occupational health offering? OQ59105
Russell George: I thank you, Trefnydd, for your response there. And, of course, Trefnydd, you may be aware that there are hundreds of thousands of people who have left the workforce since 2019, and there are big efforts in terms of keeping older people in their jobs for longer to support the economy. An early reported conclusion of a review from the Department for Work and Pensions is that companies that...
Russell George: I'm in the class of 2011, Llywydd. Thank you, Llywydd. I'm speaking in my capacity as the Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee. Now, last year, I opened my contribution to this debate by thanking everyone who worked in the health and social care sector, including volunteers and unpaid carers across Wales, for their dedication and their commitment. The winter months, as we know, are...
Russell George: 2. Will the Minister make a statement on the new Welsh Government pay offer put to NHS workers? TQ725
Russell George: Thank you, Minister, for your answer this afternoon. I do hope, of course, that a solution is found and agreed that can lead to further industrial action not taking place in Wales. I have asked my topical question this afternoon because I had further questions following your written statement on Friday. Of course, in the last 10 minutes, a further written statement has landed in the inbox of...
Russell George: Diolch, Llywydd. I give a minute of my time to Mike Hedges and Rhun ap Iorwerth as well. We currently face extreme pressures on our NHS, our health, and our economy, and our response to this extreme pressure must also provide long-term solutions that improve the lives of people in Wales. Along with myself as chair, David Rees, Altaf Hussain, Jayne Bryant, Mike Hedges and Sioned Williams are...
Russell George: Minister, a year ago, the Welsh Conservatives put forward a motion asking the Welsh Government to provide free dentistry services for those undergoing radiotherapy or chemotherapy to alleviate the negative side effects of treatment but also allowing patients to focus more on their recovery rather than having to worry about the extra costs. At the time, the Welsh Government rejected this...
Russell George: Minister, I'm disappointed that a number of schemes that I've been promoting for many years are not progressing, but I was pleased to see that the Caersws road scheme is progressing, and really I suppose to challenge that perhaps it really shouldn't have been in the road review scheme in the first place, because it was more about a safety issue, rather than building a new road. But I think...
Russell George: Minister, can I thank you in advance for the briefing that you gave to the Health and Social Care Committee last week? I know that your officials are going to be providing a technical briefing to Members as well, so that's of course appreciated. Of course, we do need to ensure that the NHS is nimble enough in its procurement practices so it doesn't fall behind other parts of the UK. As I've...
Russell George: Can I ask, Minister, what are your criteria for taking the health board back out of special measures? I ask that question in the context of—. You said in your statement today, Minister, that your predecessor took the health board out of special measures just before the Senedd election in 2020 because they were taking positive steps towards improvement. Well, I would suggest that the health...
Russell George: Can I thank you for your answers, Minister? One thing I just do want to try and get an understanding of is that you've talked about further discussions over the weeks ahead, and I just want to understand what the plan is now in those discussions that you referred to. I think you just said in your answer to Adam Price that you can look at what else you need to do further, and there'll be...
Russell George: 6. What assessment has the First Minister made of the importance of road connectivity to the economy in mid Wales? OQ59208
Russell George: Thank you for your answer, First Minister. I was pleased that the road improvement scheme at Moat Lane, Caersws was not scrapped as part of the recent roads review. This scheme is absolutely crucial to take place, not only for congestion, but there are a number of safety concerns at that point, and, sadly, a number of fatalities over a number of years. I know, First Minister, you'll be aware...
Russell George: Trefnydd, I note the health Minister's recent comments regarding her inability in law to dismiss executive members of Betsi Cadwaladr health board, and there seems to be or there may be an implication that the Minister would have dismissed them had she the powers to do so. So, can I ask, Trefnydd, will you confirm whether the Senedd will soon be considering any business relating to giving...
Russell George: 1. Will the Minister make a statement on the recent decision of Wales Air Ambulance to maintain services in mid Wales for the next three years? OQ59209
Russell George: Thank you, Minister, but I don't agree with that. The Wales air ambulance operates through the service of the charity itself and also the Welsh NHS, and it's your responsibility as health Minister, of course, to ensure that we have adequate cover across Wales, which I know you'll agree with. I was very pleased that the Wales Air Ambulance Charity announced that they would keep using the...
