Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: You are quite right, and I think that we have to be very careful. The impact on children is something that's going to affect them for a long time if we don't deal with this issue at an early stage. We will be having an update on the recovery before long, and I've asked to ensure that we do consider children as we look at how that programme proceeds. And you're aware that, as we develop that...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much, and it is true that there are many people who are suffering from long COVID. I was speaking to a mother yesterday who was talking to me about her son who suffers from long COVID, and I think it is important that we do recognise that this is a very difficult situation, particularly for those who have served us all during the pandemic. And that's why we have been very...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, as you know, I'm very keen to see the development of regional surgical hubs. I am restricted by the amount of capital funding that we've been given by the UK Government—that's what's tying my hands at the moment. And let me tell you that we are already initiating these; you'll have seen yesterday that we are centralising and having one of these surgical hubs, for vascular services, in...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: You're not counting half of them, that's why.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much. Well, Russell will be aware that the figures have gone up everywhere in the past year; this is not a unique situation—they've sky-rocketed everywhere. And, of course, we're all challenged now, in terms of getting those lists down, and that's why we did publish our planned care proposal back in April, where the targets are very, very clearly set out. I can tell you that I'm...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: What I can tell you is the number of people waiting for two years actually reduced in the latest figures that came out just a few weeks ago. They reduced by 3.4 per cent. So, I think that shows that, actually, we're heading in the right direction. Obviously, we'll have more figures coming out next week, which will demonstrate to us whether that change has continued. Obviously, we've got to...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much. I'm spending a heck of a lot of time on this, I've got to tell you. We have a new chief dental officer, and I think he's really trying to grasp the situation, and he understands the severity of the situation. It's not a situation that's unique to Wales, it's an issue that is a challenge across the whole of the United Kingdom. We are actually further ahead than they are in...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much. The situation is a very difficult one in terms of dentistry across Wales. Of course, we're still in a situation where COVID has affected services. We were down to 50 per cent until very recently, we're now back up to about 80 per cent, and, of course, a lot of people want to see a dentist after waiting for so long. In terms of the new academy, I'm very pleased that the...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: With the north Wales dental academy being established in autumn 2022, and with 96 per cent of NHS dentistry funding in Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board going to practices engaged in contract reform, I expect to see significant improvements in patient access in north Wales in the near future.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much. Let's just be clear that the board is not supposed to be a geographic representation. If we started that, then it would be very difficult to get representation from the whole of Wales. [Interruption.] I will carry on. I've had the pleasure of speaking to Dr Rajan Madhok. He is somebody who retired to Wales four years ago. He's had an incredibly sparkling career. He's been a...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Diolch yn fawr. Decisions on priorities for the health service in north Wales are for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. They take into account the needs of their local population, and that's informed by the work of the regional partnership boards, which include citizen panels. Welsh Government officials meet regularly with representatives from all community health councils in Wales,...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I regularly meet with the chairs and vice-chairs of all health boards and include specific focus on primary care services. My officials also regularly discuss issues around primary care services with the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much, Joyce, and this is an area that I think, again, is one of those unspoken areas where it's really important that we start to talk about it in public, because it really is impacting, in particular, older women, many of whom are afraid to leave their homes now because of the social stigma that they feel if they have issues like that. You will, I'm sure, be very pleased to hear...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much, Buffy, and I know you, too, have had your issues in relation to women's health as well. I think it's really important that people talk about the menopause now, and it's great that people are being a bit more open about it. And I think there's a lot we can do to support women with the menopause and we've got to understand—. In the workplace as well, I think there's a job...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much. In terms of cervical screening, I think it's really important that we also take not just—. It's obviously a gender issue, but there's an inequalities issue within that. So, it's clear that we see fewer people from poorer areas presenting themselves for screening, so we've got to take that into account as well, and make sure that we're making up for that, not just in terms...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much. Well, what we have seen is an increase of 40 per cent in terms of demand over the past five years when it comes to HRT. And the real problem is that manufacturers haven't kept pace with that demand. So, we are working with the UK Government, who, of course, is responsible for procuring this on our behalf, and, obviously, people are being advised to perhaps go to alternatives...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much. Certainly, I'm very aware, and I've heard on several occasions you talk about your experiences in terms of perinatal health, and the same with Buffy—very traumatic experiences, and you're representative of so many thousands of women who've been through a very, very traumatic time. And I think it's really important that we think through, and this is why the life-course...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much. And, Jenny, I'd like to support you in terms of your position on women's right to choose. I'm absolutely despairing in terms of what's happening in the United States, and I think it's been a very sad step backwards for women and, indeed, men in that country. In terms of endometriosis, you'll be aware that we have now in every health board an endometriosis nurse. I've met...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much. I think it's really important to make it absolutely clear there's no contradiction in the fact that we have already started to do work in the gynaecological space. What we're doing here is to expand beyond that, and, certainly, this was something that was drawn to my attention very early on after I was appointed, and I just wasn't aware of it, the fact that heart disease is...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Excellent. Thanks, Russell. First of all, I thank the committee for taking this issue seriously. I guess I've got a little appeal to you, as a committee—I know you're independent and you can do what you want, but it would be really useful if you could do this quite quickly so that you can influence the plan. What I'm really keen to do with this plan is to get everybody to contribute and...
