3. Welsh Conservatives Debate: NHS Emergency Departments

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:24 pm on 12 February 2020.

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Photo of Neil McEvoy Neil McEvoy Independent 3:24, 12 February 2020

I'm stood here as leader of the Welsh National Party, saying that we need to save the accident and emergency department at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital. The public message to us is very, very clear. I attended a public meeting, I listened intently outside. They want us to work together.

I support the motion. I cannot support amendment 1, because amendment 1 essentially wrecks the motion. I support amendment 2. I support amendment 4. My amendment is very, very simple—the message is simple. It says that this Assembly—us here, every Assembly Member—supports a permanent—and that is the key word here; it's not in any other amendment or any other motion—a permanent and fully resourced accident and emergency department at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital. We can all support that, and we can all support each other's amendments so we can listen to the public today and actually hear what they told us outside, and support the motion and support each other's amendments, with the exception of amendment 1.

The health of the NHS in Wales is in crisis. Staff deserve better. The public deserves better. We heard outside, Minister—and I hope you listen—that the doctors at the Royal Glamorgan, as my colleague across the way said, want the department to remain open, consultant-led, 24 hours a day. My daughter was born at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, and they did a tremendous job back in those days. My dad is being looked after at this moment by brilliant NHS staff at the Heath, but I was in A&E on Friday, and I was appalled at what I saw. Staff told me that it was a quiet night, and on other nights, the night before, people were sat on the floor. We have declared, or the Government has declared, a climate emergency. I feel we need to declare a health emergency. Let's vote for these different amendments, let's listen to the public, let's listen to the doctors and let's give the message out that this Assembly wants to save the accident and emergency department at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital on a permanent—the key word—permanent basis. Diolch yn fawr.