Today, to mark the NHS’s 75th Birthday, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, Leader of Plaid Cymru and Member of the Senedd for Ynys Môn has paid tribute to all staff - past and present - for their tireless work in making the NHS in Wales what it is.
Rhun ap Iorwerth said:
“Today, on the 75th birthday of our NHS, I pay tribute on behalf of Plaid Cymru to every single person that makes and that has made the NHS what it is, an organisation to be treasured for the fact that it treats us all equally and delivers healthcare to all – free at the point of need.
“But the staff we praise and thank today are under unsustainable pressure. Dozens of health organisations, including the Royal Colleges and the British Medical Association are calling for action to give the workforce the resilience it needs. We need to train more, but crucially to retain the staff we have, by caring for the workforce.
“Without a new workforce plan, the health crisis we are in risks the NHS as we know it not being able to survive another 75 years.
“Working in health and social care should be a sought-after profession. This is undermined when governments play hard ball with a workforce who aren’t getting fair play through fair pay. Welsh Government must provide that fair pay.
“The cost of agency staff has rocketed to an eye watering quarter of a billion pounds last year. NHS funds shouldn’t end up in the coffers of private agencies. We should ensure NHS staff are given the flexibility and control they need WITHIN the NHS.
“Revolutionising preventative care would help lessen the burden on the NHS, saving the taxpayer money whilst making Wales a healthier nation.
“And re-prioritising the alignment between primary and social care is critical to ensuring that people are treated when they need to be treated and where they should be treated.
“Rather than depend on the vicious cycle of special measures, we need lasting reform, not sticking plaster solutions. Ministers, including those with responsibility for matters in the north of Wales should consider a new model of delivering health, in place of the failing Betsi health board.
“So, on the NHS’s 75th birthday, we pay tribute and thanks to a service that has given so much. Together, we can rebuild our NHS, making it fit for purpose: a fairer, stronger, and better health and social care system in Wales, free at the point of need to all who need it – from the cradle to the grave.”