Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: And I think it's really important, of course, that we listen to clinicians. We're the people who've asked these people to come up with their ideas. The restriction on us is capital, so that is the problem that we have. Can we actually set up these establishments? We'll need to, I think, adapt what we have, rather than build new facilities, but you won't get any objection to us here from doing...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Access to primary care services has changed dramatically across Wales over the past two years. Services have had to adapt to ensure patients can access primary care in a safe and effective manner. Digital technology has helped to deliver these improvements.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, we're very aware that, when we're seeing these developments happen, we do need to consider that additional infrastructure, including schools and all of those other things that go with them, and we're very aware of the increase in the population in particular in the area that you refer to, John. And that's why I have recently given approval for £28 million of funding, which has been...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much. First of all, I think it's really important that people note that about 20,000 people are treated in terms of dentistry each week in Wales, and the number of dentists has risen in 2018 and 2019 above 1,500. Of course, one of the issues we've had is that the aerosol generating capacity that happens was very dangerous during COVID, and that's where we saw a massive reduction...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, a follow-up from the last question. Certainly, the health boards are responsible for the planning and assessment of dental provision to meet the local population needs. The Welsh Government is working on reforming the dental contract to focus on prevention and needs-based treatment in order to create more access for new NHS patients.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks, Russell. I would accept that there is currently a capacity issue, and that's why I'm spending quite a lot of my time now trying to address this very issue. We are making steady progress with the recovery of dental services. And whilst I accept that it wasn't fantastic before the pandemic, the pandemic has certainly made things considerably worse, and we're still a long way from being...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks, Jane, and thanks for your continued focus on this issue. It's certainly keeping my feet to the fire. I'm pleased to say that this new contract will, as I say, hopefully see 5,000 additional people who currently can't get access to NHS dentists in Powys getting access, and 13,000 people in the Hywel Dda area. So, we have put money on the table, but, as you note, money is not going to...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. At present, the C21 north Wales medical training programme at Bangor University is delivered in collaboration with Cardiff University. This initiative was introduced to reflect the Welsh Government’s commitment to deliver medical training in north Wales, and it will form the basis of the curriculum of the north Wales medical school.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much. Well, certainly I'm very eager to see 'More than just words' continuing and evolving and becoming more aggressive in terms of what we expect to see from the health boards in terms of provision. In terms of quality of care for young children and those who are monolingual Welsh speakers or more comfortable through the medium of Welsh, then, of course, the quality of care...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: The end-of-life care board is currently preparing to transition into the new programme board for end-of-life care from 1 July 2022. The work programme for the new board is currently in development, and it will support a range of end-of-life care enabling plans.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much, and we certainly hope that will happen. Of course, we've already provided £2 million in order to ensure that we see a delivery in this area and, certainly, what we want to see in terms of the capacity on that board and the kinds of people we have on the board is that the new programme should take a more holistic approach to end-of-life care. We know that around 33,000...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I expect all patients to be seen in order of their clinical priority as assessed by the relevant clinician, based on royal college guidelines, with the most urgent patients seen first.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Ambulance resourcing is an operational matter for the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust, in collaboration with health boards and the Emergency Ambulance Services Committee, as commissioners of ambulance services in Wales. The national roster review factored in the particular characteristics of rural communities to ensure they are not disadvantaged.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: As well as routine gynaecological services, patients with endometriosis in Hywel Dda University Health Board are receiving care and support from a dedicated clinical nurse specialist in endometriosis and pelvic pain.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I'd like to thank the standards committee for their work and for their consideration of the standards commissioner's report. I'm aware that the role of elected representatives is to lead by example. There's an expectation on all of us to uphold the highest standards, and, throughout this process, I've accepted that I failed to do so through my actions in this case. I'd like to place on record...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I am aware of the responsibility upon us all as Members to lead by example, and I accept that I haven't maintained the standards required of us as Members of the Senedd in this case. I want to make it clear in the Senedd today that I apologise to you all, my fellow Members, and to the people of Wales for the unfortunate situation that I have put myself in, and I wish to say that I am sorry...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Diolch yn fawr. Llywydd, Gwyn Williams, who is our ophthalmology clinical lead, along with the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, has worked with us to develop an eye care strategy, which we are now implementing. Over the past 12 months, eye care services have implemented considerable innovations to ensure that patients at risk of sight loss are seen and are treated.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much, Andrew. I absolutely am very aware of the fact that there are certain conditions where we have to move fast, and this is one of them, which is why what we've done is to ask clinicians to sort out priorities, to put people into categories so that we are really getting to the people who need the most urgent help fastest. Of course, what we are doing is implementing the...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. As you’re aware, I was pleased to see, for the first time, that those waiting for two years and longer, that those lists are coming down for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. So, we’re travelling in the right direction, but, of course, we’re not travelling quickly enough. You must bear in mind in terms of the figures that we’re dealing with at the moment,...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to reply to this important debate around the 'Waiting well?' report and waiting times. I'm very pleased that we were able to accept almost all of the recommendations, 26 out of 27. Obviously, we haven't gone into the detail in the response, but obviously there's a lot more detail in the planned care plan. Now, I published our...
