4. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Winter Protection Plan

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:58 pm on 15 September 2020.

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Photo of David Rees David Rees Labour 4:58, 15 September 2020

Minister, thank you for your statement, and I want to put on record my thanks to all those health and care social workers who have gone above and beyond in the last six months, and will go above and beyond in the next six months as well. I agree with my colleague Alun Davies from Blaenau Gwent in regard to testing, but you've answered that, so I won't push that agenda at this point.

But you mentioned just now the ambulance service, and one of the issues I'm concerned about, and I'm getting messages from my constituents, is they are now facing increased pressure once again, and we're seeing five-, six-, seven-hour waits for ambulances to attend at the point of need. A person falling down, an older person falling down on a path in the summer being told, 'Don't move them'—on a nice day like this, you could get away with it; come the winter, that is not acceptable. We need to address the issue on the emergency ambulance services and getting people out. I've had ambulances waiting at Morriston, again, for hours. Will you look at this to make sure the ambulance service has sufficient resources to be able to actually go to these urgent cases, to ensure people don't have to wait these long times for the care? And, another point, we've also questioned on the health visitors issue and the safeguarding of children; some health visitors have not been able to go, during the coronavirus pandemic, to ensure that the children are safeguarded. That's a very serious question that we have to address during the next winter months as well. I'm conscious of the time, Deputy Presiding Officer.