Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Diolch yn fawr. And I'd like to thank Mark Isherwood for raising this really important issue. Mark, I can always rely on you to teach me something new in these debates—you always have so many facts and figures at your fingertips, and they're always very useful for us to take note of, and certainly I'll be making sure that we take note of those and follow up some of those issues. Forgive me...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Almost all of the children and young people referred to the team have difficulty in reaching the required attendance rates in schools. A crucial element is collaboration with schools and primary care practitioners to help these young people to access education in a way that is appropriate to their needs. That includes having discussions with parents, of course. The team have planned a...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. I provided an update to Members regarding COVID-19 and winter pressures on 20 September. I highlighted the fact that we are preparing for a third winter of living with COVID, but that the situation regarding respiratory viruses is more uncertain than previous years because seasonal patterns have been significantly disrupted due to the pandemic. The latest rise...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Our approach emphasises that vaccination continues to offer the best protection from COVID-19 and flu. For those who are eligible to be vaccinated, getting vaccinated is the most important action that they can take to protect themselves and others. Our winter respiratory vaccination programme was launched on 1 September and, to date, over 360,000 COVID-19 vaccines have been given. Our advice...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much. Well, I can assure you that there will be a national campaign alongside the campaigns that are happening, I'm sure, at local authority level. If I'm honest, we are a bit disappointed with the number of people who have come forward so far in relation to health and care staff, which is why I've instructed my officials to write to the health boards to make sure that we drum...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. Well, as you know, we have modelled and we have looked at what could happen during this coming winter, and the health service is preparing for the models that we have seen, where we'll be likely to see a peak, according to the modelling, in December and January, so we do need to prepare for that, and that is the time, of course, not just for COVID issues, but that's when people...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: In August 2022, the chief dental officer published updated guidance on the role of the community dental service. This included the expansion of salaried dental officer posts, to support local communities who have limited or no access to general dental services normally provided by the independent contractor model.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much, and it's very heartening to hear about the work that they are undertaking in those community dental services in Llanelli. The good news is that we have given an additional £2 million worth of recurrent funding since 2022 to improve access, and many of the health boards have used that funding to invest in their community dental services—and that's true, I know, both in...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much. We are already seeing a difference as a result of that new contract. So, 73,000 new patients have already gained access this year, and as I say, we expect that to reach 112,000 new patients during that financial year. So already it is making a difference. We also have the new dental academy in Bangor, which we hope is going to provide access to between 12,000 and 15,000...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: We are getting to a point now where—. Obviously, we're still in a situation where COVID is a reality. One in 50 people have COVID, so we do have to bear in mind that anywhere where there's an aerosol-generating situation, there's an increased risk of the spread of COVID. So, there is bound to be a slight reduction in the level of activity. When it comes to children, we're hoping to look...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: While I have a role to set the strategic direction for healthcare services in Wales and to hold the NHS to account, it's Powys health board that is responsible for the planning and delivery of services at a local level and for ensuring they meet the needs of the communities that they serve.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much. You're absolutely right; we've got to make sure that equity is something that prevails across Wales. We have a clinical lead for stroke in Wales, and with the support of the stroke implementation group manager and the national allied health professional lead for stroke, we're developing plans for regional stroke services in Wales. That includes how hyperacute stroke...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Diolch yn fawr. Look, at the moment, we're all working on the basis of a leaked report. So, the important thing is that we let the system and the process work its way through. Now, I know that the chief ambulance service commissioner is acting independently of the air ambulance service and the key thing for us to do, first of all, is to find out, once the report has been published properly,...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I know. I'm going to come to that, Rhun. It's difficult for us to publish that data, because it could identify patients, and that's what I've been told. That's what I've been told, and I'm very happy to put that in writing to you.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Look, the air ambulance is an independent charity. They're the ones who make these decisions, and they have looked at the efficiency of their services. And you would be the first to say to me, 'Why aren't we getting to people quicker?' [Interruption.] You've asked in the past, 'Why aren't we getting to people quicker?' And they are saying, 'We can get more efficiencies—'[Interruption.]...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: The RCN’s report outlines the challenges placed on our workforce by the COVID pandemic and a global shortage of nursing staff. I am committed to ensuring that Wales has the right number of nurses and healthcare staff to meet the care needs of our people.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much. Well, you'll be aware that we're investing record levels in terms of training for the NHS—£262 million just in this financial year. The number of training places for nurses has increased over 69 per cent since 2016—that's 2,396 more nurses that have come on to the system. So, part of the problem is that we've got to actually make sure that we retain people—that's the...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: The health board is in targeted intervention for communications and engagement. This means that there is direct and focused action by Welsh Government to improve communication within the health board.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks. Well, first of all, clinicians should be writing notes; they should be writing notes at the time of treatment. So, there's no excuse for that; that's a requirement. But, in terms of lost notes, I think part of the answer to this is to digitise, which is why I've spent quite a lot of my time trying to make sure that we make sure that we have a far more modern NHS, that we invest in the...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is responsible for the provision of safe, sustainable, high-quality healthcare services for its local population, based on the best and most up-to-date clinical evidence and advice. We've also provided additional investment to support them.
