10. Short Debate: The current challenges facing the health and social care system in Wales, and opportunities for future service transformation

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:44 pm on 11 January 2023.

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Photo of Gareth Davies Gareth Davies Conservative 6:44, 11 January 2023

I'd like to thank Peter Fox for raising this important issue in his short debate today. I'm currently undertaking a programme of care home visits in my constituency, because I want to see for myself what some of the issues are locally in my patch and, indeed, the case across Wales. The emerging theme is that a lot of care homes can't meet their capacity because they're understaffed. They might have a capacity of 40 or 50 beds, but they can only operate 25 or 30 because of that lack of staff. I think we need to make the social care career more attractive to prospective candidates, and increase training opportunities. I'm pleased to see the uplift in the real living wage, but we need to give them the right training opportunities, and stop social care workers hitting the glass ceiling if they aspire to progress in their careers to address some of these problems and give people the care and treatment they so rightly deserve. Thank you very much.