Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 2:53 pm on 7 July 2021.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan Labour 2:53, 7 July 2021

(Translated)

Thank you very much. As it happens, I've just come from a call with HIW where we were talking about the problems specifically in relation to radiologists. Now, they have put a system in place where we do produce about 20 new radiologists every year, so that is quite a big increase from where we've been in the past. And of course, what's important is the quality of training that they receive, and I've asked them to also consider what else we can do. Is it possible, for example, for us to send some of the images that we get abroad so that they are analysed overseas?

So, I think that there is scope for us to be imaginative in terms of how we approach the issue of dealing with this backlog, particularly when it comes to cancer. But you'll be aware as well that we have provided £25 million in additional funding in order to ensure that the equipment is available, so that we can increase and accelerate that process, and that has already gone into some of our hospitals.