Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:36 pm on 14 February 2023.
Supporting patients to stay at home is an important part of keeping pressures off the NHS, but there are numerous cases. I have a constituent who needs dialysis at home three times a week. That costs £20 a day in terms of energy to run the dialysis machine. The hospital provides £40 every three months. So, clearly, she can't afford it. She's also reliant on a food bank, but she has particular dietary needs that can't be met by the food bank. So, despite the signposting that's happening, there are too many people falling through the cracks. So, my question, Minister, is this: putting yourself in the shoes of my constituent, would you choose to run up debts for food and energy in order to safeguard your health, or would you cut back on the cost of energy and specialist food that are crucial to keeping you alive?