Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:58 pm on 3 March 2020.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 1:58, 3 March 2020

Well, Llywydd, more people work in the Welsh NHS today than ever before in its history, and even during a decade of austerity, the number of people working in the Welsh NHS has risen by 10 per cent over that period. So, while there are recruitment challenges, of course, and in particular areas as well, in general the NHS in Wales recruits very well, and is very well staffed.

I referred in my answer to Adam Price to emergency legislation that is being discussed between the four Governments, and those discussions are not concluded. But I'm happy to give an assurance to the Member that those discussions are covering the emergency re-registration of staff who have recently retired or left the profession—and that's nurses and others, as well as doctors—in order to persuade those people to come back and help out in an emergency. It is important to offer them a series of protections, that their pensions won't be affected, that there will be indemnity cover for them put in place, and that there may be a need for retraining, even if it's rapid and concentrated, to make sure that people's skills are at a level that they will be confident to practise again.

All of those matters are being very actively discussed between the Governments and between the professional associations, and I'll repeat the undertaking I gave to Adam Price that should these discussions mature into a piece of legislation—and the Welsh Government's view will be that one piece of legislation for the whole of the United Kingdom is preferable, as far as possible, to separate pieces of legislation in parts of the United Kingdom—we will nevertheless make sure that the outcome of those discussions is properly reported to the Senedd, and Members here will have an opportunity to scrutinise them.