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

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 12:20 pm on 24 March 2020.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 12:20, 24 March 2020

Thank you for the comments and questions. In terms of your opening about not just locums, but more generally about staff who may be in at-risk categories, it was one of the concerns of the British Medical Association about asking people to return to practice: they may be people in the most at-risk categories, either in age or underlying health condition categories. But they may be able to undertake a range of work remotely. That's why the decision that I took to roll out the opportunity for video consultations to take place—they don't need to undertake person-to-person contact, they can still be providing advice remotely. So, it's about how we make the best use of the resources we have in terms of the people across the system. You'll notice the Bill also gives an extension in the provision for indemnity to make sure that people can return to work and not worry about the risk to them if things go wrong.

In terms of your point about death in service—I think this is a particular niche point, more operational than I would expect, but my own understanding, my own recollection, is that, generally, that tends to be a benefit from a pension scheme, and locums choose not to opt in to the pension scheme. So, I wouldn't want to try and give an answer to that. I'd have to go away and ask for advice about that, about how much of a barrier that is, and whether, actually, there are other things we could do to encourage more locums to continue to practice in a way that is safe for them and patients.

In terms of Gwent, I don’t expect the current incidence that does show a higher incidence in Gwent to be the final position. I do think that, when you look at the fact there is community circulation of coronavirus taking place in significant parts of Wales, you'll see figures in other parts of Wales, and indeed in other parts of the UK, continue to rise.

I am, though, concerned about the potential impact of coronavirus on our least well-off communities. Wales, as a nation, compared to England, in health terms is older, poorer and sicker. So, the risk, therefore, is an obvious one. Now, that will overlay in different parts of Wales differently, just as it will do in England, where they have communities that are much like the ones we have here in Wales as well.

So, that's a real concern, but I don't think the percentage that we currently see in regard to Gwent and the rest of the country will stay as it is now. Our task is to make sure that each part of the country is properly supported, and we don't want to see any one part overwhelmed at all.

In terms of your points about prisons, as you know, prisons aren't devolved, and I'm not in a position to suddenly take on new responsibilities at this point in time to try to deal with issues in prisons. But one of the points that I've made in the regular COBRA meetings that I've attended with the First Minister, and indeed the COBRA sub-groups, has been the point that many of the non-devolved functions have a direct impact. For the sake of argument, if the UK Government decided to undertake an early-release programme, to release pressure from prisoners who are in low-risk categories, well a number of those prisoners have significant underlying health conditions, and they could well be people who would automatically be vulnerable and would need significant support. We would need to know that in advance to provide them with the support that they would need. We also have in Usk a number of older prisoners in any event, and some of those will be old enough to be in the at-risk category in terms of being over 70. So, any choices made around the prison estate, around choices about what happens with prisons that early release or otherwise, have a direct impact on devolved services.

And, on your point about the over-70s, that assistance is being co-ordinated and led, as I said, with local government, and I really am grateful for the work of both Councillor Andrew Morgan, the leader of the WLGA, but also Councillor Huw David, who is the lead spokesperson on health and social care. They've been open and willing to help and support, as indeed have all their colleagues across the political spectrum within local government.

We need to reiterate the example that it's—the reason why we're asking people to stay at home is to help protect them. So, it isn't that we think that people over 70 have coronavirus and give it to other people—it's actually because they're more vulnerable and more likely to suffer real harm. That's why we've given the advice that we have done, and the Government is leading by example—not just that we've all agreed as a whole Senedd to have a reduced session today, but you will know that, once that advice was given, members of the Government who fall in that bracket have worked from home since then. You have not seen them in Chamber, they're not coming into Welsh Government buildings to undertake work, they're having to work remotely, and it's really important that we don’t just ask other people to follow that example, but we do it ourselves as well.

On free parking, we're, of course, fortunate to have free parking across our hospital estates here in Wales, but I am pleased that Cardiff council made additional parking available to NHS staff to ensure that they're able to get to work, and the usual park-and-ride arrangements that may have prevented them getting to work as promptly as possible have been altered specifically for NHS workers, but, of course, it is a fact that, as there are less people moving around, traffic flows are very different and much quicker, as I have found on a number of occasions in the last couple of weeks.

And, on your point about care home supplies, there's a regular conversation between officials and both local government and also the largest organisation of the independent sector providers about how stocks are procured and what that means for them, so I'm confident that there is a constructive relationship and there is a route for people to raise concerns if they have them.