7. Plaid Cymru Debate: NHS Performance

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:59 pm on 29 January 2020.

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Photo of Rhun ap Iorwerth Rhun ap Iorwerth Plaid Cymru 5:59, 29 January 2020

(Translated)

Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. Thank you to everyone who's taken part in the debate. Thank you for the response of the Deputy Minister. I feel for you, in many ways, having to defend the indefensible in this place. A series of excuses and spin, that's what I heard, I'm afraid, from the Government, going through the targets that she claims are being met, and the challenges that arise over the winter. Of course there are winter pressures but build those into the system, include the capacity to respond to those pressures during the winter. As a health committee over the years we’ve been recommending to the Government to build in that capacity and that time of the year. Perhaps things have been worse than usual this Christmas. I hear evidence, perhaps, that it ha been. Well, we need that flexibility in our system or we don’t have a system that is sustainable. We know that it isn’t sustainable.

Thank you for the individual contributions. The spokesperson for the Conservatives, yes, it is groundhog day here. I’m surprised to see you denying the impact of austerity. We’ve had cuts over the past years under the leadership of the Conservative Party, and that has to have an impact.

But on amendment 3—if I can return to amendment 3—you’re deleting from our motion the part that says that it