Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 3:01 pm on 7 July 2021.
Thank you to Huw Irranca-Davies for tabling this question. I think it's very important, and as Huw correctly says, domiciliary care workers in Bridgend and social care workers across Wales have played a really important part in this pandemic.
But I think domiciliary care doesn't just start and end with those social care workers. One aspect of domiciliary care—and it's sometimes overlooked, actually—is the role of community pharmacies and their provision of medicines and other services for those who are either shielding or can't leave their homes. I recently visited Porthcawl pharmacy, which provides services to those shielding or can't leave their homes to deliver medication or other services across the local area into the wider community. Very often, the people who are receiving domiciliary care are most likely to receive services like this, but despite the good work being done by Porthcawl pharmacy on this issue, the provision is quite patchy across Wales, which means that many vulnerable people in other areas are left out of accessing these vital services. So, can I ask what assessment you have made of the role of community pharmacies in the provision of certain services for those receiving domiciliary care and what action the Welsh Government is taking to improve these services to standardise them across Wales?