8. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 12:03 pm on 24 March 2020.

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Photo of Joyce Watson Joyce Watson Labour 12:03, 24 March 2020

The first thing, like many others here, that I want to do today is to thank all the staff that are turning up right across the NHS, right across the care sector and right across the delivery agencies to get things where we need them and when we need them at this critical time. And I think it is really important that those people understand, if they don't already, that we all value them as well. It is in the light of providing both information and goods that I will start to ask some of my questions.

The first question that probably most of us have been frequently asked is where to go for good advice. We've seen plenty of experts popping up on the internet telling people things that are quite dangerous, quite frankly, because the advice is fundamentally wrong at this time. So, I think it's about reiterating where to go for good advice—reliable, dependable advice—and putting that out there.

In terms of supplies, again, if you try to buy something simple like paracetamol, which I did yesterday, you might be asked to pay £3 for it. That isn't really acceptable. And, again, it's about getting those supplies that people will need for their medical care on a day-to-day basis into those community pharmacies that we will all depend on, but also asking supermarkets that do supply to actually put a brake on, which some of them are doing, what people are buying.

I've also had information, and it's fairly evident if you look at supermarkets, about baby formula disappearing off the shelves. I mean, this is critical. Babies need to be fed, and yet I've heard stories about people being baby formula as a means to putting dry milk in their teas and coffee. That is an appalling state of situation. So, again, it's a plea, really, to people to just think that the word 'baby' and 'formula' goes together for a very, very good reason.

I would ask, again, about utility payments. I know it might seem odd that I'm asking you, but if people can't feed themselves and they can't keep themselves warm, they will quickly become quite ill. Some of those people who are on utility pre-paid meters are the most vulnerable in the very first case. And I'll ask again—while I'm talking about people having the right fuel—in my area particularly, lots people are off gas, they rely on oil supplies, they rely on liquefied petroleum gas. It's more expensive. Those people tend to be more isolated by virtue of where they live and they tend to be more elderly in some cases. I don't know whether you've had any conversations to help with those supplies, but if we take oil, for example, you have to generally buy that in bulk, and that is a huge cost for people at a time when their money might be at the barest minimum. So, again, it's about keeping families being able to live effectively by being able to heat their homes and also feed themselves.

I have to ask about cross-border health working, particularly in Powys. I know others will ask about other areas. I'd certainly like an update—I've been approached by many people living in the Powys area—about how that is working for them and how confident we are that those people in Powys who need healthcare will be able to access it.

Finally, I want to pay tribute to you for your daily updates. They have been clear. But I also want to thank people for their co-operation, because unless we get the vast majority of people co-operating with those stringent restrictions that we are asking them to place on themselves, we, quite frankly, will never be able to cope with this virus. I just hope that people will carry on in that way, because as somebody said earlier, this is not a holiday. This is probably a time where those of us who come through it—and I hope all of us can—will look back and wonder about this period of time and people's behaviour as well. Thank you very much.