The Procurement of Health Services in North Wales

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:17 pm on 8 May 2018.

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Photo of Llyr Gruffydd Llyr Gruffydd Plaid Cymru 2:17, 8 May 2018

(Translated)

In response to questions from Plaid Cymru on proposals to privatise dialysis services in north Wales, you said, on 30 January, that you were entirely opposed to privatisation:

'We are completely against privatisation'.

Those were your words. We now hear that Betsi Cadwaladr is proceeding with plans to privatise those dialysis services across north Wales. The staff tell me that they don't want to transfer from the NHS into the private sector, and they also tell me that they don't feel that there has been sufficient consultation with them. There certainly hasn't been consultation with patients or the public more generally. And I have a letter from the health board confirming that they have your Government's support for this proposal. A Labour Government allowing public services to transfer from the NHS into the private sector—it's something that you are very critical of when the Conservatives do it in England.

So, when you told us on 30 January that you were entirely opposed to privatisation, did that suggest that you didn't know what was happening within the health service in north Wales, or, indeed, were you trying to mislead us?