Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Diolch yn fawr, Russell. I think it's very clear that guidance is not as strong as enforcement in law, and that's why we have continued, particularly in these very vulnerable settings, to insist on the wearing of face coverings in those settings. And it's obviously not just a requirement of the people working there, but it's also a requirement of people entering those buildings to visit. So,...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: However, it is important that we recognise that COVID-19 has not gone away, and will remain with us globally. As the current wave of infection hopefully subsides, we must prepare for future waves. We can't assume that future variants will be the same as omicron. We could see a more harmful variant in the future. We must also be mindful that the return to more normal population mixing will...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks for the opportunity to provide an update on the current public health situation and the outcome of the latest review of the coronavirus regulations. Community transmission of the BA.2 omicron wave of COVID-19 continues at a very high level across Wales. According to the ONS survey, one in 25 people in Wales have COVID. There are still around 1,064 COVID-related patients in...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you, Llywydd. Thank you for the opportunity to bring this debate to the Senedd.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Diolch yn fawr. I accept that what we're embarking on here is a constitutional risk; I've made that clear right throughout the discussion on the Health and Care Bill. I do think, however, in relation to many sections of the Bill that we've already discussed, that actually the UK Government has moved quite a long way in our direction and has made some very significant concessions in our...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: The purpose of this amendment that we are seeking the Senedd’s consent for today is to have the same impact as the original amendment but in a simpler way, by making it a crime for a citizen of the United Kingdom or somebody who is usually resident in Wales or England to commit extra-territorial offences with regard to human organs that are already an offence in terms of the trade in human...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I move the motion, and I'm today recommending the Senedd consents to legislative consent motion No. 4 on the UK Health and Care Bill. This amendment is very specific in nature and relates to commercial dealings in organs for transplantation abroad—so-called organ tourism. Members will recall that consent has already been given for the other clauses in the Bill...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much, Rhun, and, certainly, we are very much aware that there are still people who are still very anxious, and that's why it is important that people do follow the advice that we've put forward, and I listed that at the end of my contribution—ensuring that people are vaccinated, of course, is the most important thing. But. in addition to that, we all know what we need to do...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Removing the legal requirements doesn't mean that businesses and employers don't need to consider the risks associated with coronavirus. However, it is time for them to assess these risks alongside other transmittable diseases, including flu and norovirus. We have amended public health advice to businesses, employers and event organisers to help them to continue to implement effective control...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Apologies, Llywydd, and apologies to the Senedd.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Llywydd, I move the motion before us. While I hope Members will have enjoyed the Easter recess, they will not have forgotten that coronavirus is very much still with us, and I'm pleased to announce that hospitalisations have stabilised over recent weeks. However, numbers remain high. In context, on 22 April 2022, there were 1,360 COVID-related patients in hospital—just over 1,070 higher...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, we certainly are trying to throw the kitchen sink at that, and I can tell you that I don't think the system is broken. A system that actually sees 200,000 people a month I don't think is a system that is broken. And I do think that we should appreciate the incredible work that is being done on a weekly basis by the heroes who are in our system, and I think it's really important that we...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much. Can I tell you that endometriosis is an area that I have really tried to focus on, because I think it's an area that's been neglected for far too long? And that's one of the reasons why, by the end of this term, I will be producing a women's health plan, because I do think that it's really important that we focus on women's health. There are so many areas where we need to...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks. That's the way to ask questions, James. Thanks very much. [Laughter.] I'll see if I can answer in just as efficient a way. First of all, on dentists, look, we're already on it in terms of apprenticeships. So, Health Education and Improvement Wales, we're asking them to really look at what more we can do in that area, where we're using technicians rather than dentists. On mental...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I'm more than happy to answer you, Darren. Just let's do it in a formal way. For me, the important thing is that we look at efficiencies but also the costs. So, Cwm Taf can do hip replacements really cheaply compared to some of the other areas, so we've got to learn from those and some of those are about day care. So, certainly, that would avoid the problem in terms of the beds issue, which...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much, Jenny. And, certainly, cataracts is an area that we are very much focused on, because, as you say, there are literally thousands of people waiting. We are trying to make sure that we deal with them in a system of priority, so those who are more likely to lose their sight go to the front of the queue. I actually had an eye test this morning and my optician was thrilled to...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much, Rhun. Certainly, things have changed since the pandemic hit. The fact that we are all using technology in an entirely different way as compared to how we were using it before the pandemic means that there are possibilities now that weren't in place before the pandemic. We want to take advantage of those opportunities to transform the system going forward. But you're...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: It is very different.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: It's not deliberately so. We want—[Interruption.]
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: We need to be transparent with the public. We think, for example, that it's important to include things like diagnostics and therapies in our waiting list times because, actually, there are thousands of people who are waiting for those. Those are not included in the English figures, so I would ask you to stop comparing apples and pears.
