Part of 1. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:04 pm on 2 May 2017.
In my constituency, we’ve experienced big problems with GP retention and recruitment, and it’s of particular concern in the Rhondda because we have an ageing population and an ageing GP population to match. Last year, we saw the closure of Tŷ Horeb surgery in Treorchy, and, less than a fortnight ago, Maerdy surgery patients were told to go to Ferndale surgery because GP cover could not be arranged for that particular day. This caused a lot of concern in an area where appointments are difficult to come by at the best of times. With all the problems in the NHS in England, why is recruitment such a problem in Wales? Doctors should be falling over themselves to come and work in Wales, but you’ve failed to capitalise on that situation. Do you also regret that, after 18 years of Labour running the NHS in Wales, we still have one of the worst patient-to-doctor numbers in the whole of the EU?