Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I've been clear that we must change the way we provide healthcare to women and girls in Wales. We need to do that so that they can get timely care, so that the NHS responds to their needs and requirements, and so that research and development work reflects the lived experience of women and girls. And that’s why we here in Wales have committed to bring all of these important issues together...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Yes, okay.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much. I guess that's part of the reason why so many people are misdiagnosed or not diagnosed, because it is quite difficult to understand that. That's why I think training for doctors, for physicians, is critical. Endometriosis may be suspected due to an individual symptom history or through scans, but the invasive surgical procedure called laparoscopy is currently the main way...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Diolch yn fawr. I'm really grateful to Huw Irranca for introducing this incredibly important topic for the short debate today. I hope you get better, Huw. Thank you very much for highlighting the difficult cases that you have. I think it's absolutely right that it's not just women who are leading the charge on this—it's really important that men understand how this impacts on so many...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much. Obviously, it's not my report to publish, it's HIW's report, and they're the people who determine the timescale on which that happens. Look, I acknowledge that there are still very, very serious problems, in particular in relation to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and in particular in relation to the emergency department. That's why I've had serious discussions with the medical director...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, I think the Government has acted—we've stepped in and given an opportunity to the board to act, and what we saw were not the kind of improvements that we would have expected to see. This report is not acceptable. The report does praise the staff to a certain extent. Some of them are critical of some of the staff and it is important that we monitor that because that's part of the...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much. Obviously, I'm not happy with the progress that's happened in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, and, obviously, I did have sight of this report prior to me putting them into special measures. I was very concerned, and it was one of the many factors that made me lead to that action that I took. Staffing is a real issue. It's not an issue just in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd; it's an issue throughout...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: The Healthcare Inspectorate Wales report notes the hard work and commitment of staff at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd's emergency department and there have been some encouraging improvements following the previous inspection. However, it is very disappointing that many of the issues have still not been fully resolved.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much. Well, just to note some of the access requirements, some of the things that we’re expecting them to do are to move away from that one approach that’s been there in the past, which is the face-to-face approach. So, we’re looking at blended models. We are looking to make sure that they are able to offer urgent, on-the-day appointments, and that they should also be giving...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much, and you're quite right, and I'm going to just pay tribute to the receptionists who very often have a really tough time from the public. And, actually, I do hope that the public will be respectful to receptionists who have a very difficult job, especially when you consider that, in December, there were 400,000 contacts in one week, I think it was, to GP practices. So, this is...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thanks very much, Mike. You're absolutely right; there are some GP practices that are performing much, much better than others when it comes to access. One of the things I've asked my officials to do now is to start getting a lot more granular in terms of where we are hearing the complaints over and over and over again. Because some are performing really well, and as I say, 89 per cent of...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much. I think it's important for us to consider what access means to people and what their direct experiences are, so thanks for recognising that that research is ongoing. I think that perhaps we do need to help people to understand that what has happened historically in terms of having access to GPs isn't necessarily the way that things will work in the future, partly because...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Diolch yn fawr. You'll know that, in relation to access to GPs, we've done a huge amount of work on that over the past few years. In fact, we had some access standards set out, and I'm pleased to say that 89 per cent of GP surgeries are already achieving the access standards that we set out. Those access standards include a commitment to make sure that what is offered by GP surgeries, for...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: In optometry, we are already expanding clinically focused provision in primary care. That's being done by moving the delivery of some eye-care services from hospitals to the community, where there is a skilled workforce with the capacity to meet increasing demand. Before some aspects of the reform can come into force, some changes will need to be made to regulations, and, of course, we will...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Today, I am pleased to provide an update on our programme for government commitment to delivering better access to doctors, nurses, dentists and other health professionals in primary care services. At the outset, I think it is important to acknowledge that the demand for primary care services outstrips capacity, which undoubtedly provides a challenge in terms...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Every day, I ask myself if I can continue to do this thankless job. But every day, I realise that I've got something to offer, and that is that I care. I want to provide the best possible health and care service for the people of Wales. I want our Welsh NHS to succeed. Llywydd, it's going to be my privilege to remain as health Minister for as long as I have the support and confidence of the...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Being Minister for health after a pandemic is very difficult work, particularly when the resources aren't available after years of austerity as a result of the actions of the Conservatives. I have taken decisive action in terms of intervening in Betsi Cadwaladr health board, and I'm not going to follow the Plaid Cymru suggestion to restructure and to hold a public inquiry that will cost...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: No, I'm not giving way. I'd like to take this opportunity to address some of the false rhetoric being bandied about by the Conservatives today—that we voted to cut spending on the NHS. Many years ago, yes, we redistributed health funding to social care, and anyone who knows anything about health knows the absolute necessity of considering both these services together. And I need to put them...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Today, he's desperately trying to persuade us that he didn't knowingly mislead MPs over all those lockdown parties at No. 10. This technique, calling for a no-confidence vote, has become a desperate act of distraction by opposition parties incapable of standing up for the people of Wales. You ask for accountability; here I am today, as I am every week. And let me be clear: you won't see the...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Llywydd, it's not an easy job being health Minister after a pandemic when waiting lists went soaring everywhere and Tory austerity left our public services fragile and our older sicker and poorer population were left more desperate than ever. But I'm committed to delivering the best possible health service for the people of Wales, and I'm determined to support our health and care staff, who...
