5. 5. Statement: Update on Plans to Recruit and Train Additional GPs and Other Primary Care Professionals

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:46 pm on 20 September 2016.

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Photo of Suzy Davies Suzy Davies Conservative 4:46, 20 September 2016

I’ll be as quick as I can on this. We hear, albeit anecdotally, that one of the deterrents to recruitment and training in Wales is this rather unfortunate myth that you have to be able to speak Welsh to work in the Welsh NHS. But it’s a Government priority—and it’s one that I agree with—that key individuals within professional primary care need to be able to speak Welsh in order to offer a service to those that they serve. Can you tell me how recruitment and training for those, regardless of where in the world they come from, will ensure sufficient Welsh language speaking skills amongst key individuals so that they can at least communicate with young children, individuals with learning difficulties and those with dementia? I appreciate that you might have wider ambitions for the skills base as a whole, but for those three individual groups of people, what focus are you putting on those within your training?