Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:52 pm on 12 October 2021.
First Minister, there is a serious issue here for patients trying to get access to their GPs. Mair Hopkin from the Royal College of General Practitioners has said that the crisis in GP surgeries actually predated COVID, with a lot of patients finding it difficult to get an appointment before the pandemic, and having to wait several weeks for an appointment. We've heard from Dr Phil White, chairman of the BMA's Welsh GP committee—he's said that problems were developing before COVID, with more GPs being lost to early retirement. And doctors themselves have highlighted the impact that this has on the whole system—doctors like Dr Oelmann, a GP at Clark Avenue surgery in Cwmbran, who has made it clear that it's not just GPs, it's right through the system. There are backlogs in secondary care, the ambulance service, social care. He's right to say that everything is interlinked, and that none of it can be viewed in isolation. It goes around in a circle and becomes more and more difficult for staff, and indeed for patients. Therefore, First Minister, do you accept the view of the Royal College of GPs that the crisis in GP surgeries predates COVID? And, given the impact the pandemic has had, what urgent steps will your Government take to specifically address the development of primary care in this parliamentary term? Given that one of your Government aims set out in the 'A Healthier Wales' review was to improve the experience and quality of care for individuals and families, how will you achieve this if the number of GPs continues to decline, and our population continues to grow?