Angela Burns: 5. Will the Minister outline the Welsh Government’s plans for the financing of local government during the fifth Assembly? OAQ(5)0026(FLG)
Angela Burns: Well, Cabinet Secretary, I am pleased that the Welsh Conservative debate of last week has had such a galvanising effect on you, because this statement does actually pretty much cover most of the requirements that we put forward, or suggestions, for what we might do to improve GP recruitment in Wales. I do, however, have a couple of questions to ask you. Let me make it clear that I really...
Angela Burns: Minister, I’d like to understand what your ambition is for the health of the people of Wales. Fifty-one per cent of our population at present are battling with some form of illness. I would like to understand where you would like to see that position by the year 2021. Reading through your ‘Taking Wales Forward’ document, I’ve noticed again that you major on the fact that you’d like...
Angela Burns: Thank you.
Angela Burns: [Inaudible.]
Angela Burns: Would you take an intervention?
Angela Burns: Thank you. I would just like to make the point that much of my speech has been predicated on the discussions that I’ve had with GPs and with the Royal College of Physicians and with the British Medical Association. So, we are listening to what they have to say. Many of these ideas are their ideas and we would like the Welsh Government to listen to what they say.
Angela Burns: Thank you.
Angela Burns: Just very quickly, do you have the evidence that says that Welsh students are being turned away from being able to train in Welsh medical schools because they’re already full with other people? If you have that evidence, I’d like to hear it.
Angela Burns: Of course.
Angela Burns: Some of it is, and as you listen to the rest of the debate, I think you may be slightly cheered. Granted, the headcount for GPs remains fairly stable. However, there is little recognition that many of those heads are not full time. Not only has the GP’s role changed, but the way patients wish to access their GP has also changed. Patients still wish to see a named GP, and to be able to see...
Angela Burns: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I’m pleased to move the Welsh Conservative debate motion tabled in the name of my colleague, Paul Davies, in which we ask the National Assembly to note that the retention of the front-line workforce is a major challenge facing the NHS in Wales. We ask the Welsh Government to outline its response to the recent increases in the number of vacancies for...
Angela Burns: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. I agree with the comment about local communities being engaged, and of course, throughout Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire I’ve encountered a number of voluntary groups. I admire their community spirit and they produce an enormous amount of work on behalf of the communities they represent. However—and there’s always a ‘however’—I am becoming...
Angela Burns: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. I’m sure, like me, you are a great supporter of rural businesses. However, there is a lot of tension between some of the very large rural businesses, a number of which I have written to you about in the past, and the impact they have and, indeed, I would go so far as to say, the blight effect that they have on local residents in the areas that they are next to....
Angela Burns: 5. What steps is the Minister able to take in order to mitigate any consequential negative effects on the environment caused by business developments? OAQ(5)0020(ERA)
Angela Burns: 2. Will the Minister outline the Welsh Government’s priorities for ensuring effective community engagement? OAQ(5)0026(CC)
Angela Burns: Thank you, Presiding Officer. Leader of the house, as you may well know, today is world sepsis day. I declare that this is a subject very close to my heart, and I want to ensure that this often unrecognised illness gains greater public understanding. This illness strikes quickly and kills a third of its targets. It maims another third in some way and leaves them with problems of various...
Angela Burns: Minister, I’m very grateful for your statement, and I’m very pleased, actually, to see you’ve taken this action, because I think it is time that we supported our health boards more thoroughly. Although, Minister, I do have to say that I lay it entirely at the feet of your Government, your predecessors, that they allowed the health boards to get into this state. I’d like to just talk...
Angela Burns: First Minister, given that we now have three health boards that have had targeted intervention, and one health board in special measures, this drive to recruit GPs has to talk about recruiting the whole family, because, otherwise, these GPs will not want to work in areas where they feel that there is not going to be substantial back-up, medically, for them in their practices. And we need to...
Angela Burns: Minister, there’s a shortage of community paediatricians in the Hywel Dda health board. One of the areas that this severely impacts is the provision of support and diagnosis for young people and children with autism. Despite reducing waits, we still have some people waiting two to four years for an autistic diagnosis. I don’t need to tell you that the earlier these young people get that...
