Part of 4. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 3:35 pm on 8 January 2020.
I thank the Minister for his answer. And, of course, I'm sure we would all agree with his comments about the excellent work that the staff are undertaking under very difficult circumstances. But I wonder how he would respond to the Royal College of Nursing's call to him yesterday to get back in the room, and to start talking about the extent of these pressures. I wonder how he would respond to Dr Philip Banfield, from BMA Cymru, saying— and I quote—that they are really concerned about the impact of current workload and workforce pressures on the NHS staff. He goes on to say that there is seriously a real chance of lives being needlessly lost.
I'd also be interested to know what the Minister would have to say to my constituents, and those of others here, who have had their operations postponed. We know—and I should be clear, Llywydd: I'm not criticising the decision that the health board has made; if the services are not safe, they didn't have a choice. But I wonder if the Minister would wish to join with me in expressing his regret to patients that their operations—some of which they've been waiting for for a very long time, some of them are in very severe pain—have had to be postponed. I'd be grateful if the Minister can let us know what the situation is with regard to Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, because my understanding is that they've postponed some planned operations today. It's also been suggested to me that, in fact, Betsi Cadwaladr has not got an agreed plan with the Welsh Government to deal with winter pressures. And I wonder if the Minister can tell us whether that is or is not the case, and whether, in fact, they have got their share of the additional resources that he has put in.
The Minister talks about exceptional pressures, and I would once again put it to the Minister that winter comes every year, so does norovirus, so does the flu. These things are entirely predictable. The First Minister, questioned on these matters yesterday, described the arrangements in place with the health board as 'resilient'. Well, I would like to suggest that he comes to the Hywel Dda health board area, and explains that to my constituents, because this doesn't look like a set of resilient or acceptable arrangements to me. And, most importantly, perhaps, Llywydd, what assurances can the Minister give us that the kind of all-systems approach that the BMA are asking for—? We need to see an urgent increase in the number of beds. Longer term, the message remains the same—we've got to increase staffing levels in healthcare settings and in communities. I wonder what he can do to reassure us that we will not be having this same conversation, in this Chamber, this time next year. And more importantly, what can he do to ensure those front-line staff that he speaks so warmly of, and patients, that they will not be in this position?