3. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Update on Coronavirus

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:29 pm on 8 June 2021.

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Photo of Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan Labour 3:29, 8 June 2021

Certainly, I'm very aware that there are many people who are struggling to get GP appointments at the moment, at least in the traditional way, and part of what we need to do, I think, in response to the pandemic, is to take the good bits that we've learnt from the pandemic. I think that, actually, there's a lot to be said for remote consultation. Certainly, I represent Mid and West Wales; I'm delighted that I will be able to connect with my constituents in a very different way, and frankly see them more often than if I were just in a situation where I had to see people face to face. So, I think there are some real wins for us that we need to embed as a result of the pandemic, and certainly, using technology is something that I think we should embrace. Having said that, of course, there will always be occasions when people need to see a GP face to face. Part of what needs to be done, of course, is to make sure that the triaging that is done within the practice is done effectively, and that people are guided to the appropriate place for them to get some support. 

I think we do have to try and get people to understand that, actually, they can get a lot of support not necessarily just from the GP. And I think, if you're ill, surely the thing that's important is that you get the support and you get it fixed, not necessarily who you see to get it fixed. And I do think that we need to really try and have a discussion around this and to see a culture shift in the way that expectations are managed going forward in terms of the way we access our health services in Wales in future. 

I am particularly taken, for example, with the eConsult system, the fact that you can actually just go through a whole list of questions and get an answer and get a prescription pretty quickly without really spending a lot of time on a face-to-face consultation. So, I think there are positives, but we do need to make sure that there's kind of a minimum service guarantee, which is what I've been looking at and discussing this morning with the director general, about what is the minimum that the public can expect here, because, obviously, there are cases where we need the service that's being given and being offered to be improved.