17 September 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care, the Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health and the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
I would hope so. It's a plan that we're putting in place now. It's a 10-year digital plan, but it would be an iterative plan, because if you consider where we're at digitally now in the world, it's not where we were 10 years ago, and with AI, things are…
17 September 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care, the Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health and the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
It absolutely is. As we said, we've now commissioned that work into developing the 10-year digital strategy. That may be something the committee might want to look at and feed into, incidentally. I think that would be a valuable piece of work we would…
17 September 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care, the Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health and the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
It is absolutely a concern. These are things that I and colleagues have raised in this committee in the past. And that's why we are developing now a 10-year digital plan for the NHS in Wales. So, the problem we've got is that we've got systems with health…
17 September 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care, the Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health and the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
Absolutely. You're quite right, and we accept that and I've said similar things myself. That's why we need to see those waiting lists cut. That's why the project and the funding that we've put in place now, part of the £145 million, is going to look at that…
17 September 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care, the Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health and the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
There we go, St George’s and Epsom and St Helier, which she managed to turn around. So, expertise there coming in. I think you referenced that trust yourself in one of your comments. Regarding the issue about whether or not some patients were being seen or…
17 September 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care, the Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health and the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
I think it's important to point out that Jacqueline Totterdell has come to the NHS in Wales from—. What was the name of the—?
17 September 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care, the Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health and the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
First of all, on that point, when you said you raised the question in the Chamber on allowing assistance from outside—I never said that. I know we would allow assistance from outside. What we said was that we wouldn't allow Betsi Cadwaladr University Health…
17 September 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care, the Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health and the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
The one that you will have heard me mention several times, and I've made many statements about it, is waiting lists, particularly the two-year waiting lists. It's clear to me that not only has that been an issue for several years now, but there is more…
17 September 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care, the Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health and the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
Thank you. Can I check that the interpretation equipment is working, that everyone can hear the interpretation? Thank you very much for the invitation to join you this morning. It's a strange feeling to be at this side of the table, discussing and presenting…
17 September 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care, the Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health and the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
Yes. I'm Mabon, by the way, Cabinet Minister for health, Mabon ap Gwynfor. We've got Jacqueline Totterdell, who's director general of the NHS, Sioned Rees here, and then Albert Healey. Albert is supporting Delyth, and Sioned is supporting Nerys.
16 September 2026 , Plenary
Reform UK Debate: Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board health visitor pay dispute
As well as responding to the situation as it is, we must also consider the future of health visitor services. The Welsh Government remains fully committed to maintaining a secure and sustainable health visitor workforce across Wales. That's why the Chief…
16 September 2026 , Plenary
Reform UK Debate: Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board health visitor pay dispute
It's not up to me to decide on the process that the health board has taken. This is an issue for the health board to resolve. They created this situation, Unite are in dispute, and they now have to come together. That's the situation we're in. It's not up to…
16 September 2026 , Plenary
Reform UK Debate: Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board health visitor pay dispute
The Government amendment reflects the reality that this remains a local employment dispute between the health board as employer and Unite as the recognised trade union, and, as such, these matters must be resolved through the established employer, trade union…
16 September 2026 , Plenary
Reform UK Debate: Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board health visitor pay dispute
Thank you, Llywydd. I welcome the opportunity to respond to this debate. I'll start by endorsing what has already been said about the vital role that health visitors have in supporting babies, children and families across Wales. Their work is often done with…
16 September 2026 , Plenary
Reform UK Debate: Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board health visitor pay dispute
Formally.
8 July 2026 , Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Ophthalmology services
Over 2,000 care episodes a month are managed by independent prescribing optometrists in the community, which helps to reduce unnecessary demand on hospital and GP services. But we have to go further. The future of eye care calls for more than just expanding…
8 July 2026 , Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Ophthalmology services
Sight loss has profound consequences for individuals, families and communities, affecting a person's independence, ability to work, education, mobility, mental well-being and participation in everyday life. Preventing avoidable sight loss is about maintaining…
8 July 2026 , Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Ophthalmology services
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. In the previous Senedd, I was a member of the Health and Social Care Committee, which conducted the inquiry into ophthalmology, and I heard first-hand the challenges experienced by too many people. The report made 17…
30 June 2026 , Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care: Health and care winter 2026-27 preparedness
Thank you very much to the Member for that question. It's quite right to say that we need to focus on social care and ensure that we have that provision so that people can leave hospitals. When it comes to bed numbers, we have committed, as I mentioned, to…
30 June 2026 , Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care: Health and care winter 2026-27 preparedness
The message is perfectly clear from the Member—nobody should have to choose between heating their homes and safeguarding their health. Ensuring that this Government works across departments to ensure that it improves outcomes for people's health is at the…
30 June 2026 , Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care: Health and care winter 2026-27 preparedness
The issue of the state of the Heath has been raised a number of times in this Siambr, and I agree, it is in a poor state, in as much as we need to see improvements there happen quickly. That's why we are concentrating on ensuring that that urgent backlog is…
30 June 2026 , Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care: Health and care winter 2026-27 preparedness
Dirprwy Lywydd, our first priority is understanding how we use our beds, which is the first point raised by the Member. We must have a clear shared understanding of our true bed capacity, supported by robust data and intelligence. And without a grip on that…
30 June 2026 , Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care: Health and care winter 2026-27 preparedness
Thank you to the Member for those points and, yes, the NHS is in a precarious position and we've seen far too many sticking plasters applied to the NHS. What struck me when I was appointed to this role was the fact that previous Governments just had a…
30 June 2026 , Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care: Health and care winter 2026-27 preparedness
Some good news on what was said: the latest Public Health Wales estimates point to an uptake of 46.1 per cent for children aged two and three years, which is an increase of 2.5 per cent, alongside an estimated additional 150,000 influenza vaccinations that…
30 June 2026 , Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care: Health and care winter 2026-27 preparedness
Thank you for those points that you raised, Natasha. Dirprwy Lywydd, it's always nice to hear kind words at the beginning of every contribution, and once again, I welcome the warm words received from Natasha. There are a couple of fundamental points in the…
