Part of 2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport – in the Senedd at 2:47 pm on 15 June 2016.
I want to congratulate the Cabinet Secretary on his appointment but I also want to pay some tribute to the previous Minister, who had a very tough job and has exercised some change. They are not veiled congratulations, I can assure you. However, moving swiftly on, I did last Friday visit Withybush hospital and I did speak with staff and patients about the new services and how they are bedding in. I’m pleased to report, having done that, that the picture is overwhelmingly positive. I did speak with a woman who had just had delivery of her sixth baby in that new unit and who had nothing but praise for the midwives, the staff and the facilities that she availed herself of. But there was an issue that did come up and that was the future of the 24/7 dedicated ambulance vehicle, or the DAV, that was introduced for emergency transfers between Withybush and Glangwili hospitals as part of the phased introduction of safety measures supported by the previous Minister. Hywel Dda Local Health Board has extended that contract with the Welsh ambulance service but it is due to end at the end of the financial year. Cabinet Secretary, while the service is being used less, maybe, than it was anticipated—but it is shared with other services—the staff did say that it is valued and needed. My question therefore is: would you commit to discussing with Hywel Dda health board the option for putting those vital services on a permanent footing? Also, Minister, I have spoken to you about visiting both Glangwili and Withybush hospitals, which you’ve agreed to, but I would like to have your agreement on record. Thank you.