6. Welsh Conservatives Debate: Minister for Health and Social Services

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:21 pm on 22 March 2023.

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Photo of Mike Hedges Mike Hedges Labour 4:21, 22 March 2023

Russell George and I were both elected in 2011. Eluned Morgan is the best health Minister we've had in that time. This is the most difficult job in Government. The structure we have now is the one that she inherited. As merger mania hits the Senedd across parties, big is always better, isn't it? I've had Conservatives tell me that we should only have two health boards in Wales, and a former Plaid Cymru health spokesperson argued for one. Fortunately, the views expressed of putting social care into health have not happened—it would have made matters a lot worse. Too many Members identify problems without workable solutions. Why nearly everyone thought that joining primary care and secondary care would work, I cannot understand. Do you actually think it has worked? I take that to be a 'no'. Whilst the vast majority across parties supported the merger of primary and secondary care—no matter what goes wrong, let's make bigger and bigger organisations. Finally, we need the right sized health organisations. How has the merger of primary and secondary care benefited patients, who are they key?

There are problems in the health service in Wales. The structure of Betsi Cadwaladr is, I believe, unworkable. New chairs and chief executives are regularly appointed, but the problems are not resolved. The gap between the board and the ward is too big. I wrote that several years ago when no-one else actually had any point of agreement with me at all. Jenny.