3. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Long COVID

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:12 pm on 8 February 2022.

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Photo of Alun Davies Alun Davies Labour 3:12, 8 February 2022

I'm grateful to the Minister for coming forward with this statement this afternoon. What I want to focus on is the impact this is having on people, on patients and families. I'd like to know what exactly are the services that the Minister is ensuring are going to be available in each one of our health boards. What are the Government's expectations for those services? Like her, I'm not persuaded that an under-resourced specialist unit is the best way of providing care, but I also want to be convinced that the current system is working well. What instructions has the Welsh Government given to health boards? What targets or objectives have been set for the delivery of those services?

And secondly, Presiding Officer, I want to think specifically of the NHS and front-line staff who, working throughout the pandemic, have put themselves at risk and who may now be suffering from long COVID themselves. People who contracted it whilst delivering services on behalf of us all are owed a fundamental duty of care by all of us, and it is the important role—fundamental role—of this Government to deliver that duty of care. Can we ensure, Minister, that all people in the NHS and associated services who find themselves with long COVID today are treated like people who have suffered an industrial injury and receive the duty of care that we all need to owe to them?