Russell George: 7. How is the Welsh Government supporting businesses to extend their occupational health offering? OQ59105
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: 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: 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: 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: First Minister, in December, less than 40 per cent of life-threatening calls received an ambulance response time within your Government's eight-minute target—a record low. And if that isn't a crisis, then I wonder what is a crisis. But, given the pressure on the ambulance service, which I understand the reasons for, the Wales air ambulance service is, of course, all the more crucial for...
Russell George: Will the First Minister make a statement on the improvement of road infrastructure in mid Wales?
Russell George: Can I thank Plaid Cymru for tabling this motion today, and as Welsh Conservatives we'll be supporting the motion as it's tabled? The health service is in crisis, and they are serious words. When you are declaring a health crisis in Wales, they are serious words that you've got to think carefully about before stating them, and talking about mismanagement—serious words—but that is exactly...
Russell George: Can I thank you, Minister, for your statement this afternoon? You are in a very difficult position; that's something I would accept. And I appreciate how tough these negotiations are for you, Minister; it's not easy at all. And it is regrettable, as you will agree as well—and as the RCN will agree—it is regrettable that we've got a further announcement of strike action in February. You...
Russell George: Can I thank Peter Fox for using his debate time on this really important issue today? The cross-party group on medical research is currently doing a piece of work, leading an inquiry into the benefits of medical research in Wales. And perhaps I should declare an interest as the chair of that cross-party group. Research-active hospitals have really improved outcomes for patients, whilst many...
Russell George: Our motion today, jointly tabled with Plaid Cymru, sets out a number of factual points and then goes on to ask the Welsh Government to work with its NHS partners and the Welsh ambulance trust to ensure that air ambulance bases in Welshpool and Caernarfon remain in operation. I've so far seen no evidence that moving a base further away from mid or north Wales, as proposed, will be of benefit...
Russell George: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I move the move motion in the name of my colleague, Darren Millar. The Wales Air Ambulance Charity is a fantastic service that provides vital support for the people of Wales. The charity was formed on St David's Day in 2001, and operates from bases across Wales. The staff and practitioners are highly skilled—I should say they are employed by the NHS...
Russell George: I thank the Minister for his answer. What I have noticed is an increase in concerns of poor service on the Cambrian line in particular, on the Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury line. Passengers are frequently asked to change unexpectedly at Shrewsbury due to the numbers of units used for a through service. Now, as I've understood it, there are only 21 units currently available to operate on the...
Russell George: 2. Will the Minister provide an update on improvements to the Cambrian railway line? OQ58902
Russell George: Will the Minister make a statement on the provision of education in Montgomeryshire?
Russell George: Happy new year, Minister, to you and thank you for your statement today, and I'd like to start by adding my own thanks and appreciation to our incredibly dedicated and hard-working Welsh NHS staff and professionals. Minister, over the last decade, your Government has failed to invest more than £400 million in the Welsh NHS compared to other Governments across the UK. Whilst COVID has caused...
Russell George: Thank you, First Minister, for your answer. You will know that I've regularly raised issues with you and other Ministers in regard to the flooding of land across mid Wales. You may recall the issue of flooding of homes in Llandinam I raised with you last February, and indeed other areas. Of course, there is great anxiety and worry, as you will know, for people whose homes have been flooded,...
Russell George: 3. What support is the Welsh Government providing to Natural Resources Wales to alleviate the flooding of land in mid Wales? OQ58916
Russell George: Well, Minister, you've just got to look at the stats—the stats speak for themselves: in Wales, we are waiting 10 weeks longer for treatment than patients have to in England. So the stats do speak for themselves, and you can't get away from that. But what my final question of the year would be to you, Minister, is: what do you believe is your biggest regret of 2022? And there is a bit of a...
Russell George: Thank you, Minister, for your answer. Of course, they're not effectively the same thing, because we're having a very different outcome in Wales. We've got 50,000 people, Minister, waiting over two years for treatment and the same figure in England and Scotland is zero—they've been wiped out. So, we're in a very different position. So, although you've set out a different position in Wales, I...
