7. Plaid Cymru Debate: Health inequalities

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:25 pm on 12 January 2022.

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Photo of Rhun ap Iorwerth Rhun ap Iorwerth Plaid Cymru 4:25, 12 January 2022

(Translated)

Thank you very much, Deputy Llywydd. We are facing a health crisis: a crisis that is putting lives at risk, which kills; a crisis that means that the vulnerable face the greatest threat; and a crisis that we should all be desperate, some day soon, hopefully, to put behind us. And, no, I am not talking about the pandemic. I am talking about the health inequalities that exist within Wales. The pandemic is relevant because those inequalities have meant that the pandemic has hit some harder than others. And we could have anticipated that because time and time again some communities, some groups and some individuals suffer more than others. But that is not inevitable. And I'm pleased to formally move this motion that calls for a strategy and a clear action plan to tackle those inequalities.

I will explain immediately why we will reject the Government amendment: the Government deletes the call for a strategy in its amendment and the call for an action plan. It calls for us rather to acknowledge what the Government is already doing, as if that were enough. But the whole purpose of this debate, which is the result of co-operation between Plaid Cymru and a number of medical, health and care bodies and organisations, is to try and wake up the Senedd and the Government to the reality that any measures currently in place—and, of course, there are measures in places—are totally inadequate.