Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 3:02 pm on 1 December 2021.
Thank you, Minister. New data published in 2021 by the Welsh Government show that, within Welsh hospitals, there is an average of 10,340 beds available, a drop of over 200 beds recorded from the previous 12 months. Minister, when was it decided that slashing beds was the right course of action, especially during the pandemic? In 1999, when the Senedd was first established, there were 14,723.4 average daily beds available in Wales. That's a nearly 30 per cent decrease in hospital beds since Labour have had control in Wales. My region of South Wales East continues to be the worst affected area for COVID infections, with further concerns of flu levels obviously coming over the winter, and we see beds now still at levels lower than in 2009-10, by nearly 50 beds in my region. Can the Minister assure me that she will not make any further cuts to bed numbers and work with health boards to bring bed capacity up in South Wales East and the rest of Wales?