Sioned Williams calls for Welsh Government to take 'urgent action' to address the NHS crisis
This week, during a debate in the Senedd, Sioned Williams called on the Welsh Government to take urgent action to tackle the NHS crisis, by implementing Plaid Cymru's 5-Point Plan on health.
The latest figures show that 39% of patients in Swansea University Health Board and 42% of patients in Cwm Taf Bro Morgannwg Health Board, respectively, had to wait longer than the 4-hour target time for emergency treatment.
Sioned Williams said:
“There is a crisis in our health service, and it’s happening on Mark Drakeford’s watch.
“Ambulance response times and emergency department waiting times are at an all-time high, and hard-working NHS staff are being denied fair pay and safe conditions.
“I’ve seen an increase in the amount of casework that I’m receiving from constituents who are being affected by this crisis, across the South Wales West region that I represent. And this is part of a wider, national problem that is only getting worse.
“As the Labour Government in Wales are failing to address this crisis, and the Tories in Westminster are bent on cutting public services, Plaid Cymru have stepped in to offer solutions that would providing a fair deal for NHS workers and create a resilient health and care service fit for the future. That is what our five-point plan would deliver.”
“The relationship between health and poverty is well understood. In the debate I discussed how deprivation causes ill health and inequality in health outcomes, increasing the pressure on health services.
“At a time of economic constriction, and a time of raging levels of poverty in Wales , the need to prioritise preventative health measures is urgent. Poverty and inequality are a cross governmental issues. In addressing the NHS crisis the Welsh Government must take full account of the differences in the opportunities people have to lead healthy lives.”
The 5-point aims to improve:
- Pay: Providing a fair deal for NHS workers to create the foundation for a sustainable health and care service.
- Workforce Retention: Making our NHS an attractive place to work.
- Prevention: Significantly elevating the prominence and priority given to preventative health measures.
- Health and Social Care Interaction: Taking a sustainable approach to ensure a seamless service.
- Delivering the Recovery: Creating a resilient health and care service fit for the future.
Watch a clip from Sioned's speech here