8. Welsh Conservatives Debate: The health and social care workforce

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:03 pm on 20 June 2018.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 6:03, 20 June 2018

There is a real target; 2019 is a real target. I want to make sure that we have a workforce strategy that is within the time that it really is achievable and, indeed, by making proper use of Health Education and Improvement Wales. That has been established to lead on workforce planning, and they will be responsible for developing the strategy as one of their first priorities. HEIW will become operational in October of this year, and, whilst it will be one of their first objectives, it is not possible to deliver such a detailed and important piece of work within the first three months of their lifetime. 

I've already given a commitment to expand medical education and the training landscape in north Wales and, indeed, in west Wales. Work is progressing between myself and the Cabinet Secretary for Education to consider proposals submitted by universities to take this work forward, and I hope to have more to say in the near future on that.

The parliamentary review, of course, recognised that a key factor in delivering high-quality health and social care is the well-being and engagement of our staff, and there is already significant work under way. North Wales has been highlighted recently, and I managed to highlight 20 specific programmes of work currently undertaken by Betsi Cadwaladr on well-being and engagement. And this level of activity is replicated across health boards and trusts here in Wales. But we recognise that we need to do more. That's why, in our long-term plan, we committed to making NHS Wales an exemplar employer in its support for well-being at work and a healthy workforce.

We want to see the NHS leading change in this area across health and social care, and in other sectors too, by sharing good practice, guidance, online promotion, and evaluation—and indeed, further steps forward this week, with the agreement between ourselves, the Welsh NHS Confederation and BMA Cymru, to create a fatigue and facilities charter for doctors and clinical staff, building on the good relationships we have here in Wales, and the first within the UK, warmly welcomed by staff within the service.

In terms of the call for implementing priority access to treatment for NHS workers, I've already made my position clear in this Chamber before: we need to think carefully about the issues if we decide to advantage groups of staff wherever they're from—the NHS, the administrative services or carers—and on the basis of their work rather than their clinical need. But, as I have made clear, work is under way to consider this and the approach being taken in some parts of England, and I will consider the issue further once it is complete.

But I really can't leave the nature of this debate without reminding people in this Chamber, particularly Conservative politicians, that the issue of stress, strain and funding facing our staff across health and social care comes from the real impact of austerity. [Interruption.] The eight years of austerity that public services have been subjected to, has caused real harm. [Interruption.] Don't take my word for it. Ask front-line staff within our health and social care services—[Interruption.]—and they will tell you. They understand very well where austerity comes from. They understand the political party that's responsible for that choice.